


RWBY: Pearls on a String

by dongyrn



Series: RWBY: Team PERL [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: But A Lot More Kickassery, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gen, High Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, OC, Still Some Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-08-19 00:11:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 34
Words: 174,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8181107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dongyrn/pseuds/dongyrn
Summary: In the aftermath of veteran huntress Ruby Rose leaving an indelible mark on their lives, Team PERL is now set to put their hard-earned skills to the test. But a new evil looms over Remnant, one the four students cannot possibly ready themselves for…





	1. Volume 1: History

**Author's Note:**

> Standard Disclaimer: All rights belong to those whose rights they belong to, primarily the glorious minds at Rooster Teeth, though quite namely not me. Don't own a thing.

**Undisclosed Location**

"My Lord," the scientist called out in a hesitant, wavering voice from the doorway. "The latest results are in."

Across the cavernous and darkened study, a broad-shouldered man sat behind an ornate desk. His chest was illuminated by the dim screen in front of him, showing the top part of an expensive silken three-piece suit, white dress shirt, and dark red tie. From his neck up, though, he was wreathed in shadows.

"Yes, Doctor," he replied sonorously. "Do come in."

"Thank you, My Lord," the man in the white lab coat replied eagerly, his earlier hesitation forgotten. He scurried forth, placing his scroll on the desktop and linking with his employer's display. "As you can see," he continued, "the latest batch has responded even better, their power increasing threefold. This is terribly exciting!"

"Yes, yes it is… Tell me, Doctor, do you believe we are ready for field testing?"

The scientist scrunched up his face and rubbed his hand over his bald pate. "Do… Do you think your little, er, friend can handle things?"

"Oh, don't you worry about Whisper," the suited man assured him with a mild chuckle. "She'll do her part. I want to know if you believe the tech is ready."

"Er… Yes, My Lord, I do believe we are ready."

The shadowy man leaned forward ever so slightly. Above the glimmer of white teeth bared in a feral grin were a pair of glittering pale green eyes.

"Excellent."

**Beacon Academy**  
**Friday Morning**

Pippin Cerise was not one to often pause for reflection. However, with the semester they'd had, it seemed to be an opportune time to do so, even though she was standing motionless in the center of the grandiose lobby for the Huntsman Academy of Beacon.

She was in her second year now as leader for Team PERL, and she hoped that she'd picked up a few things along the way. The tall, rangy blonde was certainly less brash than when she first arrived, and her confidence levels had soared to new heights. At first, she thought the headmaster of Beacon, Professor Ozpin, had more than a few shards of Dust loose in his chamber when he selected her as team leader. What business did a gangly orphan girl have being in charge of people, especially the peculiar group of misfits she'd been saddled with?

But a year and a half had certainly changed Pip's viewpoint. Those other three girls had become something akin to the family she'd never had. They had entrusted their lives to each other time and time again until they became one of the top teams in Beacon, not just in their class year but out of all students.

Pip knew, though, that some of that success could be attributed to the brief but memorable mentorship of one particularly legendary figure.

Her pale red eyes were affixed upon the large red weapon that adorned the upper wall of the academy's foyer. It was extended into its scythe form, and even though many students passing by spared it a glance, few held it in such special regard as Pip and her teammates.

The renowned _Crescent Rose_.

"Never stop moving forward," Pip murmured quietly as she ignored the bustle of students moving around her like a school of fish. The next class would start soon, but she was in no hurry just yet. "Thanks again for everything, Ruby. We'll never forget you."

"No, we shall not," a lightly accented voice spoke up from the blonde's elbow. She allowed herself a soft smile before glancing back at her teammate.

Lustre Bijou was dressed in her school uniform today as she was not scheduled to fight in the next class, her somewhat-non-regulatory white knee socks contrasting sharply with her dark skin. Her friend ran a manicured hand through her perpetually-messy silver hair and glanced at Pip with a knowing look in her ice-blue eyes.

"Don't you have a fight to prepare for?" Lustre queried wryly.

Pip peered down at her own attire, her usual silver armor with red highlights strapped over a matching set of white crop top and tight shorts, showing off her lean, muscular, and tanned limbs. The outfit was completed by a pair of dark red combat boots. Her emblem, three concentric red flames, was embossed on the upper left of her breastplate as well as on her shorts over her right hip.

"Yeah, I'm as ready as I need to be," she replied with a smirk. "I mean, it's only Bean."

"Who despises you," the silver-haired girl retorted softly, giving one last meaningful glance up at the weapon before taking her team leader by the elbow, steering them towards Professor Lazuli's combat class. "I do believe he will be taking this far more seriously than you are."

The tall blonde shrugged carelessly. "Eh, let him. Makes it all the sweeter when I crush his hopes."

A laugh that sounded like wind chimes sounded from behind them. "You're incorrigible," another familiar voice called out. Pip turned to grin at her partner, Evelyn Black. The Faunus was also in her school uniform, foregoing any sort of stocking or sock as she preferred the feeling of air on her legs, the subject of which was the object of much needling by the lanky blonde. Her black tail, matching both her ponytailed hair and the ears on the top of her head, poked out from under her skirt like an inquisitive appendage testing the air for scents.

"Guilty as charged," Pip grinned. She perked up when she spotted the fourth member of their team, Radiance Beryl, suited up in her blue armor that matched her chin-length hair. "Hey, Beryl, you're up today too?"

The short girl nodded amicably. "So long as you don't take too long wiping the floor with Bean."

Pip snorted as the four friends resumed their trek. "Not a chance, but I might make it at least a bit entertaining."

"Hmm," Evie mused humorously. "If I knew there'd be a show I would have brought snacks."

"I have some in my bag I can share," Lustre interjected, giving the cat Faunus a bump with her shoulder.

"Oh, no you don't," the raven-haired girl replied, hands upraised. She backed away with a horrified look on her face, her ears twitching furiously. "Last time you shared they were some kind of Wasabi peas that burned a hole in my esophagus!"

The silver-haired girl rolled her eyes humorously. "Lightweight," she sighed dramatically. "And you exaggerate, they were not nearly as bad as you describe."

"Not as bad as the ghost pepper chocolate, I'm sure," Beryl muttered. "I think I used an entire bottle of antacid from one measly square."

"Honestly, Lustre, how have your taste buds not completely singed off yet?" Pip snarked as they walked through the classroom doors. "Do you even taste your food?"

"Of course I do," Lustre protested loftily. "I simply have a more refined palate."

"Refined like lava," Evie snorted with an affectionate grin.

"Ladies!" a cheerful voice called out. "So good of you to join us!"

The four girls quickly ceased their bantering to regard the speaker. Professor Atticus Lazuli was perhaps one of the most understated combat instructors in the history of Beacon. He was of an unremarkable height with a shock of unkempt grey hair, sporting his usual outfit of a tweed jacket, complete with patched elbows, over a wrinkled white dress shirt, tan slacks, and brown work boots. His ever-present baton was in his hand, tapping idly against the other upraised palm.

"Um, sorry Professor!" Pip called out abashedly, having missed the fact that the bell for the class had already rung. "Lemme go get my weapon and we can start!"

"Yes, please do that, Miss Cerise," he replied as genially as always, using two fingers to push his spectacles back up on his hawkish nose. "And the rest of you, to your seats please, chop chop!"

The lanky blonde darted back into the locker room to fetch her pride and joy, _Odachi Dahlia_. The silver greatsword shone in the light, the cherry red highlights on it matching those on her armor. She gave it an experimental twirl before sheathing it on her back, striding into the recessed arena of the classroom with an anticipatory grin.

She stood at her end with her feet spread apart and arms crossed while Professor Lazuli reminded the class of the day's scheduled bouts. Her ears perked up at the mention of Beryl towards the end of the list, but her concentration remained on her opponent.

Pip let a slow smirk ease over her face as she noticed how agitated her opponent was today. Bean was a large boy, at odds with his seemingly innocuous name, who wore a large chest piece and hefted a two-handed sword somewhat similar in style to Pip's beloved weapon.

 _Not that I'd ever compare that piece of junk to my baby_ , she scoffed to herself. _What use is a sword that telescopes in length if you can't control it?_

And that, of course, was the root of their rivalry. Bean had taken it upon himself as his mission during his tenure at Beacon to wipe the smug grin off of her face, or so he consistently proclaimed, after one too many mockings of his weapon of choice.

His record wasn't terribly stellar with making good on that boastful threat.

She registered the Professor announcing the start of the match, and with a widening of her smirk the blonde surged forward, her ropey muscles bunching as she drew her sword and threw herself into the attack.

Bean was anticipating the aggressive maneuver and twirled his sword in his large hands, extending it to a spear's length as he planted his feet to meet her charge. While she was a rather tall girl herself, her opponent had her beat by several inches both in height and reach.

Not that it ever did him any good.

Right before she collided with him, Pip dropped to her knees and slid in. She swatted up with _Odachi Dahlia_ , sending his weapon off-kilter, and then her foot shot outwards to catch him on his shin.

With the speed of her momentum, he was unable to keep his footing and toppled over forward. Pip was quick to do a flip up and onto his back, knocking the air out of him as she swung her sword and activated her semblance.

A huntsman's semblance oftentimes can be a reflection of their personality, or perhaps their fighting style, though it could be argued that a person was more likely to tailor their fighting styles around their semblances rather than the other way around. In any case, Pip knew her fiery semblance was both reflective of her sometimes combustible temper as well as her oftentimes brash combat tactics.

Her sword glowed dully as her hands heated it up, and with a quick chop to her opponent's unprotected rear end she seared through his aura shielding and left a smoldering line across his backside.

Bean let out an anguished _yelp_ as he rolled over, Pip leaping adroitly back with her customary smirk firmly in place. A buzzer sounded as Professor Lazuli called the match.

The rangy blonde cooled her sword off before sheathing it behind her again. "Are you ever _not_ going to fall for that, Beanie?" she taunted as she strode off, her long blonde ponytail swishing behind.

She snickered to herself at the growled curses that the larger boy hurled at her back before the Professor stepped in to lecture him about sportsmanship.

_Well, that was entertaining for me, at least, and now Beryl can get her fight in._

She returned _Odachi Dahlia_ to her locker once more and ran up the steps towards her team, not bothering to change into her school uniform. She preferred her armor anyways, to be perfectly frank.

She was met with polite applause as her teammates did their best golf-clap.

"Bravo," Evie snarked. "Most impressive."

"Quite, quite," Beryl added, able to maintain her straightfaced visage better than the Faunus, whose tail was swishing back and forth behind her in amusement. "Do you take requests, my good lady?"

"Indeed," Lustre continued calmly. "The posterior placement was most intriguing. Do you have a name for such an audacious maneuver?"

Pip laughed as she took a deep bow, her hands sweeping to the side. "Thank you, thank you, performances are daily and right around this time, and yes I do take requests." She plopped down in between Lustre and Evie, throwing an arm around each one and pulling them in for a hug.

"As for that lovely little maneuver," she continued after her friends wriggled their way out of her enthusiastic embrace. "I think I'll call it… the 'Ass-Slapper'."

Beryl snorted out an inelegant laugh. "How poetic."

"I know, right?" Pip grinned.

"Better watch out, though, Pip," her Faunus partner warned. "I think you might've crossed the line with Bean there." Evie's black-furred ears twitched on her head as she indicated where her previous opponent had now joined with his team, the four boys sending glowers her way.

"Pfft, like I'm worried," the blonde stated confidently. She leaned back on her elbows onto the bench behind them. "He's been mouthing off all semester, serves him right to be taken down a peg or two."

Beryl turned her attention to the center of the classroom as the next pair of combatants faced off. The diminutive blue-haired girl was diligent in observing other student's fighting styles, whether to pick up new moves that she or her teammates might use or in anticipation of facing them in the arena herself. Still, she wasn't able to let the topic rest just yet.

"One of these days it's gonna come back and bite you in the butt, you know," she commented softly.

Pip smiled at her friend's concern. The tiny girl, barely coming in at five-foot-even, was fiercely protective of her teammates. She was known to stand up to much larger opponents when her friends were threatened, even when grossly outmatched.

"That's why I have you guys, right?" the blonde returned. "Watching my back like always."

Beryl nodded, flicking her gaze towards her friend, her tan eyes sparkling with humor. "Yep, I'll make sure to let you know when it's getting bit."

"Very generous of you," Pip snickered. She elbowed Lustre who had resumed her reading now that her teammate was no longer engaged in combat. "So, babe, whatcha reading today?"

The silver-haired girl sighed good-naturedly. "It's a collection of stories about legendary huntsmen."

"Not a romance novel?" the blonde teased her gently.

"You know I do not read those," Lustre sighed again, resigned to yet another round of cajoling over her reading tastes. But then her ice-blue eyes lit up with inspiration. "Team Ruby is in this one."

"Really?" Pip asked excitedly, diverted from her earlier pestering by the mention of the famous Team RWBY. "Like, the whole team?"

Lustre nodded genially, noting that she had her other two teammate's attention as well. "It has some of their earlier exploits in here when they were still at Beacon, including both the Breach and the Event."

"Wow," Beryl breathed, the ongoing fight below forgotten. "Are you… almost done with it?"

"Nooo," Lustre drawled, smirking inwardly. "But I could be persuaded to read from it aloud, perhaps after dinner tonight." She glanced over to see matching eager grins on her three friends, and could no longer contain her smirk. "But only if you finish your schoolwork."

Pip laughed heartedly. "Nicely played, Lustre. Nicely played."

Their attention turned back to the floor as the match finished and Beryl's name was called out.

"Alright, babe, go get 'im," the blonde leader cheered. "Show no mercy!"

"Break some legs!" Evie added with a grin.

Lustre rolled her eyes. "I believe the saying goes, 'break a leg'."

"Where's the fun in that? Only one leg?" The Faunus scoffed lightly, her tail curling over to give Beryl a swat on the rear as she rose. "Break as many as you can, Beryl!"

The blue-haired girl smiled and nodded, but her head was turned so that Evie couldn't see the quick blush that spread across her cheeks from the brief contact. Pip, ever cognizant of her teammates, caught a glimpse of it and eyed her retreating back speculatively.

_Why, Beryl, are you perchance crushing on my partner?_

Her suspicions were confirmed when Beryl shot once last glance at their seats before disappearing through the doorway into the locker room. Pip noted that the look was aimed solely at the raven-haired Faunus.

 _Oh, Beryl, sweetie,_ she signed to herself. _You set your hopes on someone like Evie, and you're just gonna get hurt in the end._

She didn't have a problem with inter-team romances, really, though she did know of the trouble it created in quite a few instances. One formerly close-knit team had quickly fallen to the lower rankings when the couple had broken up in a most non-amicable fashion. Now the two boys were constantly at one another's throats. It didn't help that one of them was the team leader.

But Pip knew her partner. If there was ever an embodiment of a free spirit, it was Evie. The Faunus girl could be prickly as an Ursa in heat sometimes, but under that gruff exterior was a warmth she allowed her friends to see. And she knew it was all too easy to be lulled into that warmth and mistake it for something else.

She resolved to keep an eye on things, but seeing as how the socially shy Beryl had not yet made any overt moves, she didn't think she'd feel the need to intervene anytime soon.

The blue-armored teammate in question was now on the floor below their elevated seats, hefting her overly large color-matched shield in one hand, emblazoned with her emblem of a protection knot in a lighter blue, and her sword carbine in the other hand.

"She always looks so tiny from up here," Evie mused. "With that oversized shield of hers."

Pip gave her a sharp look at her seemingly offhand comment before chuckling. "Tiny but fierce," she replied.

The three of them watched avidly as the match started. Beryl's opponent, a boy with an oversized hammer, ran at the blue-haired girl who seemed content to hold her ground.

"What's with that hammer, anyways?" Pip queried. "Is he trying to pull a Valkyrie?" The term had been coined long ago for anyone who created a weapon solely to make the biggest impact possible, usually two-handed hammers, though it could be applied to axes as well. The huntress in question, the legendary Nora Valkyrie, did nothing to dissuade the term, and from what the rumors told, she actually found it to be pretty hilarious.

"Seems that way," Lustre murmured. "I think he's in for a surprise…"

They had all noticed by this point the blue glow that surrounded the petite girl as she activated her semblance. Once her feet were planted and her shield _Dahl_ raised, Beryl simply could not be moved by any force they had yet encountered.

And certainly not by one mediocre hammer-wielder.

As the boy bounced unceremoniously off of the blue-haired girl from his ill-advised overhand strike, she twirled her sword, _Shashka_ , in a tight circle to transform it into a compact carbine. She sent several shots into her hapless opponent's midsection, causing him to stumble. He recovered faster than they had expected, but Beryl was ready for it.

As he took another swing, sideways this time, Beryl deactivated her semblance and simply slipped under the hammer's arc as she stepped forward. With a fierce cry she stabbed her weapon, once again transformed into a longsword, straight into his already-weakened midsection. His eyes grew comically wide as he let out a  _whoosh_ of air before tumbling back bonelessly.

"And that is the match!" Professor Lazuli called out cheerfully. "Well done, Miss Beryl. Also, that will be the class for today, I don't think any of you would mind an early start to the weekend."

His announcement was met by several cheers, and he had to raise his voice to be heard over the commotion.

"Miss Beryl, Miss Cerise, Miss Black, and Miss Bijou, would you be so kind as to stay behind for a moment?"

Grinning, Pip led the others down to the floor. She paused to wrap her smallest teammate up in a quick hug.

"Nice job, babe!" she exulted. "Made quick work of that one!"

"Indeed, very nicely done," Lazuli commented, tapping his baton against his leg thoughtfully. "Still, you should not always rely on meeting the first charge with that oversized discus of yours, Miss Beryl." His baton twirled out to rap sharply against the shield now strapped to the blue-haired girl's back. "It makes you predictable."

"Yeah, that's true," Beryl replied with a solemn nod. "I'll work on varying my opening stance."

"Yes, you do that. Now, girls, you will all be pleased to note that yours is the only team of second-year students qualified to enter the Vytal Festival Tournament this annum."

"We… we are?" Pip asked excitedly. She whirled around, grabbing her partner up in her arms and spinning her off of her feet. "We're in! We're in the tourney!"

"Will you set me down, please?" Evie grumped, though her words were laced with amusement. "Of course we got in!"

Beryl and Lustre, both grinning widely at their teammates' antics, merely shared a fist-bump while Lazuli looked on fondly.

"The four of you have certainly improved the furthest in the past year and a half," he commented wryly. "To be honest, I didn't think you would be at this point today."

"Aw, shoot Professor, we owe a lot of that to you!" Pip smiled towards her very favorite instructor. Granted, combat was also her very favorite class as it didn't require as many mental gymnastics, but still, the extra tutoring that the eccentric teacher was able to provide gave them a significant advantage over the other students.

"Yes, well, you certainly earned your spot on this," Lazuli replied with a laugh. "Go on ahead now, I just wanted to let you know. May as well take next week to pack, you'll be leaving for Vacuo on the following Saturday!"

The four girls gave the Professor their sincere thanks before heading out towards lunch.

"Can you believe it?" Pip asked excitedly, visibly restraining herself from skipping ahead.

"Yes, I can, actually," Evie smirked. "Did you honestly not think we would get in, as good as we are?"

"Well, maybe I just didn't want to get my hopes up too high… But seriously, guys!" Pip couldn't seem to keep the wide grin off of her face. "We're going to Vacuo! This is so cool!"

The Vytal Festival had only resumed activities within the past decade. It had been on hiatus since what most referred to simply as the Event that occurred forty-some years ago there in Vale. Every other year it would rotate through the kingdoms, and this year it was being hosted by Shade Academy in Vacuo.

"We better pack for warmer weather," Beryl smiled. "Wonder if we'll get much time to explore?"

"Well, sure, it's gonna be like here, for the most part, right?" the raven-haired Faunus replied. "We'll have the weekends and such. Maybe we'll make new friends?"

"I would certainly hope so," Lustre commented with a soft smile. "The way you two go on," she indicated with a tilt of her head the more extroverted of the group, Pip and Evie, "you'll be grabbing everyone's attention in no time."

Beryl shrugged good-naturedly. "And I'll be along for the ride as usual."

"None of that, babe!" Pip exclaimed, wrapping her reluctant teammate in an affectionate headlock. "This is your chance to break out of your shell! Go out on a limb!" She smiled as the blue-haired girl extracted herself, wondering if perhaps she might use this as an opportunity to test her normally reserved friend. "Besides, maybe you'll find some cute guy, or girl for that matter."

Beryl was about to make a retort to her earlier exuberance, but her mouth snapped shut as she blushed furiously. "No, thank you," she muttered as she stalked on ahead of them.

"Hmm, I think you struck a nerve there, fearless leader," Evie smirked.

 _You're not kidding_ , Pip thought as they entered the lunch line. _That look she gave Evie when I said the word 'girl'... man, she's got it bad…_

Her musing were interrupted at the sight of the diminutive teammate in question as a towering form, easily a foot and a half taller, loomed over her. Bean was standing menacingly in her way, though she had her arms crossed and her face set into resolute lines.

"...And your little bitch of a leader…" he was snarling, the other three of his teammates standing behind him and leering down at the small girl.

"That'd be me, then," Pip called out cheerfully as she approached. "Now, Beanie, is there a reason you're harassing my teammate?"

Bean glared at her with a look that spoke volumes as to his intent.

"Well, finally," the blonde grinned as she cracked the knuckles on her hands. Evie and Lustre moved up on either side of her, fists clenched in anticipation. "I was wondering when you were gonna be woman enough to do this."

To be fair, a bare-knuckled brawl in the middle of the cafeteria was not the best way to celebrate their entry into the Vytal Festival, nor the most decorous.

Still, all in all, Pip had a good time of it.

She glanced over at her victorious teammates, all of whom were sporting a variety of bruises, cut lips, and even in Beryl's case a gauze patch over her forehead.

"Hey, guys," she whispered from her shared seat on the bench outside the headmaster's office.

"Yeah, Pip?" Evie asked, wincing as she touched her bleeding lip gingerly.

The blonde grinned widely, ignoring her own pain. "We're going to Vacuo!"

The other three stared back at her incredulously. Surprisingly, Lustre broke first as she snorted a soft laugh that she attempted to cover up with her hand, the knuckles scabbed over by now as her aura worked on healing her wounds. Then the others joined in with giggles that quickly turned into guffaws.

 _Oh yeah_ , Pip thought to herself cheerfully. _This is gonna be a great trip…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So then, welcome to my foray into a multi-chaptered work within the RWBY-verse. This is a continuation of my earlier one-shots called "Shattered", and then "Retired" where I first introduced this team. Interest was shown for a sequel with these fine ladies, namely via Reddit (shout-out to /u/clamzilla and /u/martinjh99) and so here we are.
> 
> While I'm not going to post up here the full team stats, they're still available at the bottom of Retired if you're interested, along with some word definitions.


	2. Volume 1: Comfort

**Beacon Academy**   
**Wednesday Afternoon**

Lustre didn't think she'd ever seen her friend Evie this sick before. In fact, having volunteered at a veterinarian's clinic as a child, she didn't think she'd ever seen an actual cat as miserable as the Faunus teen at this point in time.

The raven-haired girl was huddled under her blankets in Team PERL's dorm room, just the tops of her furry ears showing, though they were flattened miserably against her head. Soft, piteous mewls issued forth from her bed situated next to her partner's.

"Come on now, Evie, I have soup for you," the silver-haired girl tried to cajole. "You must eat something to regain your strength."

"Is it fish?" the muffled voice asked from beneath the mountain of blankets.

"No, dear. It is chicken. I was told this is best for a flu. It is high in antioxidants."

"Don't like chicken," the Cat Faunus replied sullenly.

Lustre closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. _She is my friend, and I do love her like a sister. I must remember she is merely sick and not herself, else I might strangle her with her own tail._

"Evie, please," she continued out loud in her musical voice. "Eat some soup, it will help you to feel better."

"How do you know?"

The dark-skinned girl smiled softly. "My mother once told me it was so. She fed it to me when I was sick."

The blankets twitched aside to reveal one bleary sapphire-blue eye. "You don't talk about your family much," her teammate murmured. "They're back in Mistral, right?"

Nodding gently, Lustre tried giving the covers an experimental tug. "That is correct. I do not get to see my parents very often, which is likely why I do not speak of them." Meeting little resistance, she gradually pulled the covers down further to reveal more of the Faunus' face. It was flushed and sweating, and her ears twitched in tune with her feverish trembling. "Come now, kitty cat. Please try some."

The raven-haired girl let out a heavy sigh. "Oum, fine, if it'll get you to leave me alone," she grumbled, struggling to sit upright.

_She is my friend, and I love her dearly… She is my friend, I do not wish to kill her…_

While she waged her internal battle, the door behind her opened to reveal their team leader in all of her exuberance.

"Hellooo girls!" Pip exclaimed, bumping the door open the rest of the way with her hip. Her arms were laden with books which she plopped down upon Evie's desk. "I return victorious!"

"Pip, you left three hours ago," Lustre commented quietly. "What took you so long? It was only a trip to the library to retrieve necessary reading material for Evie."

"Well, you know, there were a lot of books… and it was busy…" the tall blonde hemmed, touching the tips of her two index fingers together in a manner that most found to be adorable.

Lustre and Evie, however, were fairly immune to her antics by this point.

"What, did you meet a cute guy and get distracted?" the Faunus asked irritably.

"No! No, I swear, that wasn't it at all! I was…" Pip sighed, plopping her lanky frame down in the desk chair next to Evie's bed. "I kept getting lost, okay? I don't spend as much time in the library as the rest of you do, and I kept getting turned around, and somehow ended up in the Mythology section of all things instead of Dust Studies, and then… Wait, are you guys laughing at me?"

Both Evie and Lustre had their hands over their mouths, eyes crinkled merrily over them. They both shook their heads solemnly, but couldn't hide the mirthful shaking of their shoulders.

"Fine," the lanky girl sighed in mock offense. "See if I help again."

"No, no, it's…" Evie gasped lightly as she tried to get her humor under control. "It was very, um… _sweet_ of you to risk your, er…"

"Sanity?" Lustre supplied with a giggle.

"Yes, sanity! It was very sweet of you to risk it for me. Thanks, Pip."

Smiling broadly, Pip leaned over and wrapped the sick Faunus into a one-armed hug. "Aww, you're welcome, partner. Now, you gonna eat that soup?"

"Yes, I am!" Evie replied heatedly, swatting at her friend's arm as she gamely tried to take hold of the spoon from her. "It's my soup, Lustre got it just for me! Go get your own!"

Lustre smiled to herself at the pair's interaction. _And just like that, Pip is able to overcome Evie's bad mood. I do not know how she can always manage that with such success._

"Hey, how _did_ you get soup today, babe?" Pip asked the dark-skinned girl curiously once she leaned back and tossed her long blond ponytail back over her shoulder, confident that Evie would now eat her soup. "It wasn't on the menu for lunch."

"I have my ways," Lustre smirked mysteriously.

"Oooh, I'm sure… What, did you seduce the chef?"

Lustre rolled her eyes in exasperation, deciding to ignore the jab. If she responded it would likely only encourage the extroverted girl further. "It is confidential."

"Confidential?"

"Yes, confidential. I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you."

"Over _soup_?"

Lustre looked into Pip's pale red eyes with as much solemnity as she could muster. "Do not underestimate the power of soup."

"Especially this soup," Evie finally chimed in, mumbling around her spoon. "It's really good. Thanks, Lustre."

"You're welcome, dear," she replied gently.

The door opened once more to reveal the last member of the team. Beryl trudged wearily through, dropping her books onto her desk before continuing on over to the foot of Evie's bed.

"Hey, Evie, how're you feeling?"

"Better, thanks, Beryl," Evie smiled back. It was true, after one bowl of soup she already had better color in her cheeks, the flush fading back, and her eyes not as unfocused and dull. "Be up and about in no time."

"Well, don't go stressing yourself," Beryl said with a frown. "Wait till you feel better, okay?"

"Yes, _Mom_ ," Evie smirked.

The blue-haired girl just shook her head before stepping back over to her desk. "I took notes for you in History. Oobleck was pretty cool about you missing, just said to catch up on the reading since I was covering for you. Here you go."

Evie stared at the sheaf of papers that Beryl handed to her, slowly leafing through them. "Beryl, this… This is really great. You have such nice handwriting, way better than mine."

Beryl blushed lightly. "Oh, well, you know… I wanted to make sure it was legible for you."

Lustre noticed Pip's smirk even though the blonde quickly hid it behind her hand. _Oh, so our fearless leader has finally picked up on this as well? It has only been going on for over a year now…_

"Alright, well if you're situated Evie, we need to get going," Pip announced as she stood. "Combat class after lunch, you know."

"Um, I could stay behind…" Beryl said hesitantly. "I'm not scheduled to fight, and I already covered the morning class…"

"I'd like the company," Evie smiled, though she stifled a yawn behind her hand immediately after. "Might fall asleep on you, I'm afraid."

"Oh, it's no big deal, I got studying I can do. Um, and if you like…" Beryl blushed once more. "I could give you a backrub, might make you feel better?"

_Oh Beryl, dear, no…_

"That's okay, Beryl," the raven-haired Faunus giggled. "Appreciate the offer, though. See you guys later!"

Pip and Lustre waved their farewell as they departed. The silver-haired girl adjusted her white short-sleeved jacket that she wore over a light blue tank top and white shorts. Matching blue leggings tucked into white heeled boots completed her combat outfit.

"So, what are we to do with our Beryl, hmm?" the dark-skinned girl queried as they walked.

Pip stumbled a step in surprise. "Uhhh… You noticed that, huh?"

Lustre shook her head in amusement. "Oh, Pip… She has been that way since last year sometime. Have you only now noticed yourself?"

"Well, yeah…" Pip sighed morosely. "I'm the worst team leader ever, aren't I? Can't even pay attention to my own team…"

"Do not be like that," Lustre chided gently. "I would have brought it to your attention, in any case, were I to think it caused a problem. But she seems content to… admire from afar."

The rangy blonde snorted humorously. "For someone who seems to avoid romance, you certainly know enough about it."

"I know how to cook as well, technically," she replied archly. "That does not mean I ever desire to do so. Or that I should."

They walked down the courtyard towards the classroom building for another minute before Pip broke the silence once more.

"So, you still have no interest whatsoever, huh? Guys or girls?"

"No, Pip, it just doesn't hold any interest for me." Lustre glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eye. "Would you be willing to drop this anytime soon?"

"I suppose. Can't fault me for being overly curious, though."

"Perhaps. In any case, I believe you more than fill our team's quotient for romances per semester."

"I don't-" Pip sighed humorously. "Now you're just being mean."

Lustre reached up to pat her friend's shoulder. "The truth can be hurtful, dear," she agreed.

"And I don't really think there's such a thing as a romance quotient."

"There might be. In the fine print of the student manual, perhaps."

Pip barked out a quick laugh. "Now I know you're making fun of me. Alright," she added, clearly changing the subject. "You concerned about your fight?"

"Not overly, no. I have not yet fought Tyrion, but I have observed him enough times."

"Well, good luck in any case. You know I'll be rooting for ya."

Lustre smiled and accepted the quick hug at the doorway to the combat classroom. Before arriving at Beacon, she'd been a shy bookworm of a girl who eschewed physical contact of any sort. It didn't take long for Pip to break those barriers down, and receiving hugs from the enthusiastic blonde were now entirely welcomed.

The silver-haired girl strode into the changing room, giving a brief nod to her opponent before reaching her own locker. Tyrion seemed a bit nervous, which was understandable in her estimation.

She wasn't one for bragging, really, nor for overestimation of her own abilities. She knew her strengths and weaknesses. She worked diligently to improve on both of them, but the end result was that she was well aware of her ranking in her own class.

Out of the entire year, there were few in her league. And of those, three of them were on her team.

She withdrew her combat staff, _Winter Contus_ , and brandished it with a proud smile. The silver shaft with white highlights shone brightly in the overhead lights, the subtle triggering and transformative mechanisms just barely visible.

With a confident stride, Lustre entered the arena and faced the lean boy she was to fight today.

Tyrion was clothed much like her, casually and without armor, though his color scheme tended to lean towards reds and purples in a pattern that she had to admit was rather pleasing to the eye.

Still, his defeat was inevitable.

She listened to Professor Lazuli as he made a few remarks to the students, twirling her staff idly in her hands as she noted her opponent's weapons. His twin scimitars were somewhat similar to Evie's _Dao_ except that they had hilts. Tyrion hefted the pair of them in his hands somewhat trepidatiously.

"Um, hey there Lustre," he called out as the Professor wrapped up his spiel. "Heard you made the Vytal Tournament. Congrats on that."

"Thank you," she replied politely.

"So, uh…" He seemed to fidget somewhat. "Since you're heading out in a few days… you wanna maybe grab dinner one night in Vale?"

Lustre sighed. _At some point, I shall need to hang a large neon sign around my neck that states, 'Not Interested'._

"No," she replied shortly.

"Oh, uh… okay…"

Before he could make any more of a fool of himself verbally, in her estimation, the fight was begun.

Lustre wasted no time in darting forward on swift feet, her war staff whirling about her torso. She collided with Tyrion in the middle, his twin scimitars flashing as he tried to penetrate her defensive shield.

The silver-haired girl pivoted on one foot, sweeping the other out as her staff blocked twin strikes from her opponent. He jumped back, swinging one blade down to intercept her leg while the other slashed out at her head. Anticipating the move, Lustre deftly changed her staff in mid-swing to reverse direction, coming down hard on the hand aiming for her leg while she leaned back slightly to avoid the head strike.

The scimitar passing over her hair left a breeze in its wake, close enough that it could have sliced a few strands of her tousled silver hair off. With another spin, the end of her staff ended up planted in his stomach, knocking the air out of him. He was unable to bring his defensive hand up as it was still stingingly numb from the earlier hit, and his overhand swing hadn't had the time to complete to bring it back into play.

It was a moot point, however, as Lustre triggered _Winter Contus_ , the end planted in his stomach sending out an explosive dust round that knocked him backwards.

Before he could hit the ground, she was on him again as she activated her speed semblance. Her rapid strikes hit him on both arms and on the side of his temple for good measure before he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. A buzzer sounded his aura's drop into the red and the end of the match.

Lustre shouldered her staff and walked over to her fallen opponent, offering him a hand.

"So," Tyrion sighed, accepting the help up. "You sure about that dinner?"

 _What is it about getting one's ass kicked that endears their attraction so?_ she thought to herself wryly.

"Very sure," she replied simply and without rancor before walking off.

**Somewhere in Vacuo**   
**That Evening**

Sienne paused to catch her breath behind a large rock outcropping. Her sword was clenched determinedly in her fist, though it shook wildly in front of her. Dimly the third year Shade student realized her entire body was trembling furiously. _Must be delayed shock._

She willed her off-hand to still so that she might carefully wipe the blood out of her left eye. The teenager needed her full faculties about her if she were to survive another minute of this Dust-forsaken night.

_Unlike the rest of my team… Gods... Jade, Mika, Angel… I can't believe you're all gone…_

And yet her team that she'd led with so much success over the past two-and-a-half years was decimated in only a matter of seconds. Just one pass of that… that… _monster_ … and her three teammates were lying dead in the desert sand.

_What in the name of all that is good in this land was it? I've never seen such a beast outside of legends. It seemed to resemble…_

Her thoughts cut off as she heard the faint flapping of wings. Tensing her muscles, she peered around warily. After another minute, she couldn't hear any further sounds and decided to edge out from behind her cover.

_I've got to get away, people have to know what we've seen out here…_

And then the meager light cast from Remnant's broken moon was cut off. A large shadow landed on top of the rock outcropping, sending small shards flying about. Sienne brought up her free hand to shield her eyes before backing away cautiously, her sword defiantly raised in front of her.

The gigantic creature, vaguely reminiscent of a Nevermore save for the lines of pulsating red veins under its feathers, opened its maw in her direction.

"Oum preserve me," Sienne whimpered before she was engulfed in flames.

**Beacon Academy**   
**Wednesday Evening**

Lustre glanced at her scroll, absently noting the time before realizing she'd overspent her planned time in the library. With a tired sigh, she gathered up her papers and books from where they lay across the study table and stood up, stretching languidly.

_I have been sitting in one position for two hours now. At least I finished Oobleck's paper, as well as endeavored a head start on the Grimm Anatomy essay._

Her possessions cradled in her arms, the silver-haired girl headed down the aisles of the library towards the door. She nodded polite greetings to the students she recognized, pausing at the desk to murmur a thanks to the librarian for her earlier assistance in finding a troublesome research publication for her.

Before long she was striding along the darkened pathways towards the second-year dorms.

She paused to observe an impromptu game of tag that a couple teams of first-years were playing in the gardens, smiling slightly at their exuberance. Noticing her attention, a pair of the boys trotted over to her to ask if she wanted to join in, which she politely declined before moving on once more.

 _Why is it so difficult for me to understand the difference between a friendly invitation and a flirtation? While I do not mind the former, the latter is certainly unwelcome. I suppose I have seen far too many advances thrown my way. Look at me, jaded at eighteen._ She sighed to herself and frowned slightly. _At least I have my team. My friends and my family, the sisters I never had._

The last thought made the corners of her mouth reverse direction into a soft smile. She walked up a flight of steps to her floor, heading down towards her room. She'd almost reached it when the door burst open. Fortunately, the dark-skinned girl had the reflexes of a huntress-in-training and was able to leap aside and flatten herself against the wall, avoiding collision with a certain lanky blonde who went tearing down the hall, giggling maniacally.

Before she could move again, another form flashed by, that of a raven-haired Cat Faunus who looked to be, quite literally, spitting mad.

"PIP I WILL BREAK YOUR LEGS IF YOU DON'T GIVE THAT BACK TO ME!" Evie roared as she sped past in hot pursuit.

"No breaking of legs! We have a tournament to win, remember?" another voice called after them. Beryl poked her head out the door, glancing over towards the near wall. "Oh, hey Lustre, you just get back?"

"Mmhmm," the silver-haired girl replied with a small grin. "So what did she take this time?"

"Oh, just a trashy romance novel, something or other about ninjas," Beryl laughed.

"I take it she's feeling better?"

"Very much so. Made tea for her, though. Would you like some?"

Lustre's grin widened. "Why thank you, Beryl, that's very thoughtful of you."

The blue-haired girl shrugged as they walked into the room. "Well, I heard hot tea was good for getting over a fever. And I know you don't like coffee."

She shivered slightly as she sat down on her desk chair. "Vile stuff," Lustre muttered. "I do not know how you all can drink that swill."

"And I don't know how you can even taste the difference!" Pip laughed as she jogged into the room, panting as she bent at the knees to catch her breath. "Whew! So, good news everyone, Evie's back on her feet again!"

"Yes, we noticed," Lustre snarked. "Did she catch up to you?"

"She did," Pip answered cheerfully, walking towards the bathroom. "Kitty cat used her semblance, teleported right into my path. Unfortunately, I collided with her and knocked her into the fountain."

Beryl paused in her pouring of tea to regard her leader with a horrified expression. "You… did… what?"

"Yep!" The blonde tossed the paperback novel onto Evie's bed and strolled into their attached restroom, closing the door behind her and locking it with an audible  _click_.

Lustre and Beryl stared at each other in shock.

"I do believe," Lustre murmured, "that there is something wrong with our leader. In particular with her brain being missing."

Beryl opened her mouth to reply, but all that emitted was a small _squeak_ as her attention was drawn to the open doorway to their room.

Fearing what she might see, Lustre slowly swiveled her own gaze around.

Standing there, dripping wet and with a look on her face that would make lesser beings fall to their knees and beg for a quick and painless death, was one extraordinarily livid Cat Faunus.

"Where. Is. She." Evie bit each word off with clenched teeth.

"Now… Now, Evie," Beryl pleaded weakly. "You know, you just got over being sick, why don't we dry you off first, get some nice, hot tea in you…"

"I don't want tea!" the raven haired girl snarled, her damp locks covering much of her face. "I want to drink the blood of that blonde bimbo!"

Lustre sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. This had the makings of a very long evening.

**Undisclosed Location**

The man in the shadows sat at his desk, reviewing the footage of the field testing done earlier that night. The dim light glinted dully off of his eyes, crinkled as they were in amusement as he watched the creature dispatch the hapless team of students.

"They didn't prove to be much of a challenge," he murmured, the humor in his voice tinged with just a trace of disappointment.

Lounging indolently in the chair across from him was a tiny slip of a girl. Her purple hair was done up in a bun today, though likely it'd be in an entirely different style by morning. Her legs were draped over the arm of her chair, feet kicking idly and showing the purple underlights on her black petticoat. "Was that the point of the exercise?" she asked in a light, musical voice.

"Not entirely, no," the man consented. "I suppose it still counts as a successful field test for this type. Did you have any trouble?"

The skinny girl scoffed lightly, tugging at the sleeves of her black low-cut jacket. "Do I ever?"

"Do not get overconfident, Whisper," he scolded mildly. "I need to know if you experience any trouble whatsoever. So, did you?"

"No, _My Lord_ ," she said with a roll of her eyes, just enough of a hint of insolence injected into the title to border on insult. "There was no trouble."

The elegantly suited man gazed at her wordlessly, his pale green eyes glittering as he observed her.

Whisper sighed and pulled her feet over, settling her black heeled ankle boots onto the floor. "Was there anything else, My Lord?" she asked with far more deference.

"Not at this time, no. You may go, Whisper."

The purple-haired girl nodded briefly before standing, adjusting the dark purple sash around her waist as she turned to go.

"Oh, and Whisper?"

She paused mid-step, glancing over her shoulder.

"Do keep in mind that you are only as valuable as the continuation of this project, won't you, my dear?"

She swallowed involuntarily before turning to face him once more, giving a small bow. "Of course, My Lord." With that, she turned and finally strode out of the room.

The shadowy man sighed softly before resuming the video playback of the one-sided battle. His humor was quickly restored and his malachite eyes twinkled merrily once more in the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to try, at least for the initial chapters, to rotate between the voices of each main character to give readers a little more insight into them. Hopefully, I can succeed in making them unique enough that it carries into the other chapters.


	3. Volume 1: Journeys

**Beacon Academy**   
**Saturday Morning**

Evelyn Black's eyes shot open. She lay in her bed for a quiet moment as she gathered her wits about her, trying to ascertain what caused her to wake before her alarm went off.

_Lessee… Not a weekday, no classes… Did we have something planned today, or… Oh, Dust!_

She bolted upright with a wide smile across her face. She knew her tail was swishing madly behind her, but paid it no more attention than her furiously twitching furry ears on the top of her head. _Today's the day!_

"Good morning, Evie," a soft, lightly accented voice called out to her from across the room.

Still smiling, the Cat Faunus turned to regard the speaker, her ears swiveling over first. "Hey, Lustre, should have known you'd be up first as usual… You ready for today?"

The dark-skinned girl put down her book that she was reading in bed. Her perpetually disheveled hair looked the same as it always did, which Evie thought to be monumentally unfair for those who actually had enough hair to deal with bed-head. Lustre was wearing her usual white kimono pajamas with the light blue sash just barely visible, though her crossed legs were covered by her sheets still.

"Indeed," the silver-haired girl grinned. "I am wondering if we should wake the others as well, perhaps actually get breakfast this morning."

"That'd be a first this semester," Evie laughed softly, pulling her black camisole down from where it had bunched up. She glanced over her shoulder at her partner. Pip was sprawled across her bed that was up against the wall, her silky though currently disheveled long blond hair spilling across her face and sticking to her cheeks somewhat from the drool. A soft snore was issuing from her mouth.

"Perhaps we should give sleeping beauty here a little more rest, though," the Faunus conceded. "She gets cranky if she's woken early."

"Mmm," Lustre agreed. "Beryl as well." Evie leaned over to spy the small girl on her bed behind Lustre. The blue-haired girl was curled up into a tight ball and facing the wall.

"Well, why don't the pair of us get some breakfast?" the raven-haired girl asked. "Start the big day off right."

"That sounds like an excellent idea."

The two friends got dressed quickly and silently before sneaking out of the room. They walked next to each other, amicably chatting until they could get trays of food and sit at their usual spot.

"Feels kinda weird, doesn't it?" Evie asked, chewing thoughtfully on a bite of her seafood omelette. "I mean, this is gonna be the last time we see Beacon for a few months or so."

"Is it any more unusual than our winter or summer breaks?" Lustre asked curiously, a cup of tea raised to her lips. She blew across it before taking a grateful sip.

"Oh, I suppose not…" the Faunus conceded. "Still… We're actually going to Vacuo!"

"Now that does indeed feel strange. Even more so considering we are the only second-year team, so we will be alone in our classes there."

"Oh, wow…" Evie blinked in surprise. "I didn't even think of that! Dust, I hope we make some friends…"

"Of course we will!" Lustre laughed, her ice-blue eyes twinkling merrily. "Between you and Pip, we will have the entirety of Shade eating out of our hands in no time."

"Speaking of eating… What in Oum's name is that you got this time?"

"This?" Lustre looked down at her plate. "It is merely an omelette."

"It's red, Lustre. Omelettes aren't supposed to be red."

"There are some very tasty peppers in it. I had the kitchen make it especially for me. They come from Vacuo, actually, as does the hot sauce also used in its creation."

"Joy…"

"Would you like a bite?"

"No, Lustre, no I would not."

"Are you sure?"

"I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life."

Back in their room, they found that Beryl was already awake and getting a shower, by the sounds of things from the adjoining bathroom. Pip, naturally, hadn't budged.

"Should we wake her?" Evie asked with an arched eyebrow, her ears twitching in anticipation. Sometimes she had these… instincts. She couldn't help them really, and her team made her feel much better about having them and also not being embarrassed over the expression of such. And right now, the cat in her really, really wanted to pounce.

Lustre must have picked up on it, though the tail swishing lazily behind her might have been a clue. "Are you sure that is the best way to do so?"

"Am I sure? No. Do I want to anyways?" Evie grinned over at her friend, her slightly extended canines showing like miniature fangs. "Oh, yes."

Snorting softly, the silver-haired girl shook her head as she walked over to sit on her bed. "I shall remain out of the collateral damage zone, then."

Evie's grin widened as she crept across her bed on all fours, low to the mattress and with her rear end swishing in tune with her tail. Both ears were upright and focused forward on her snoozing prey as she readied herself for the pounce.

Too late, Pip's aura warned her of the incoming danger. She cracked a pale red eye open to peer about cautiously. "Oh no, Evie don't you even think of WAAAUGH!"

The lanky blonde let out a shriek as the giggling Cat Faunus landed playfully on her torso.

"Ooof, Evie, you're crushing me!"

"No I'm not you big baby. C'mon now, you've been pounced, you know the rules…"

With a humorous sigh and accompanying roll of her eyes, Pip obliged the raven-haired girl. She reached up between her black furred ears and scratched at the base of them.

Evie gave an enthusiastic purr and curled up at Pip's side. She'd missed this for so very long, the ability to be playful and let her kitty cat out. She came from a rather large, very boisterous extended family with numerous siblings, and though she was quite happy to get away from them, she was happier by far to have found friends dear enough to her to become a second family. One who, even though they were not Faunus themselves, didn't have a problem with her acting like one.

The Faunus of Remnant had come a long way from the days of constant persecution and hate, though much bigotry still existed today. Thankfully there were laws in place now to protect the Faunus way of life, but she still had to be careful how she acted in public.

Just not in the privacy of her dorm room with her team.

"You know," Lustre commented wryly. "One of these days I am going to capture that on video."

"And that will be the day I murder you in your sleep," Evie replied sweetly through her happy purrs.

Pip snickered but reached her other hand across to flick the raven-haired girl on the nose. "No threatening of life this early," she chided gently. "Be a good kitty cat or I'll stop."

Evie pouted slightly, snuggling in closer to her partner and friend.

The bathroom door opened to reveal Beryl, clothed now but with a towel held to her hair while she dried it. "Oh, is the kitty cat being playful this morning?" she grinned, her light bronze eyes twinkling with humor.

"Seems to be that way," Pip giggled. "I'm guessing she might be excited for today."

"Mmmayyybe just a little bit," Evie giggled back. She sat up and stretched as only a Cat Faunus could, her back arched in a most inhuman fashion. "Go on, Pip, grab a shower, your hair's a mess."

"And whose fault is that?" the blonde quipped as she rolled off out of bed, unabashedly pulling her nightshirt off as she walked towards her dresser.

Evie snorted as she slinked over to her own bed, her movements sinuous and graceful. "Not mine, you were a mess before I even pounced on you."

"Likely story," Pip scoffed, grabbing her underwear and ducking into the bathroom. She closed the door on any retort Evie could make.

"Brat!" the raven-haired girl called out.

"So, we're all packed up, yeah?" Beryl asked as she walked over towards her dresser. "When does the airship leave?"

"Yes, we should all be prepared by now," Lustre replied, her nose buried in her novel once more. "I checked our bags last night, we merely need to ensure our toiletries are included. Also, the airbus for the central terminal leaves at ten, which will allow us plenty of time for the airship departure at noon."

"Cool," Beryl replied, dropping her towel in the hamper. She changed her mind as she realized that it would be a mildewy mess by the time they returned, and instead picked it back up and draped it over the foot of her bed. "Either of you guys need a shower?"

"Nope, we did so last night, remember?" Evie replied from where she sprawled on her stomach. Her tail flicked back and forth in the air above her. "Hey, you guys nervous any?"

"Nervous?" Lustre asked, pulling her book down into her lap. "Not necessarily, no."

"I am, maybe a little," Beryl admitted as she flopped at the end of Lustre's bed. "You know I don't do well in, um… new social situations."

"Don't you worry any, Beryl, we got your back," Evie grinned, her head resting on her folded arms. "We'll help you with any anxiety you might have."

"Never stop moving forward," Lustre commented quietly, repeating the motto that their team had adopted from Ruby Rose.

"Absolutely!" Evie agreed. "Just stick with us, okay?"

"Always do," Beryl replied softly.

Evie's ears flicked slightly at the tone in her friend's voice, but, as usual, she chalked it up to the diminutive girl's timidness. It was a facet of her personality so at odds with her fierceness on the battlefield, the fact that she was so incredibly shy sometimes, even around her teammates. _Dust, it took her a week to even talk to us after initiation, other than monosyllabic answers!_

Lustre had started out the same way, of course, though in her case it was simple introvertedness and unwillingness to converse rather than intense social anxiety. She came out of her shell quickly enough, but Beryl sometimes just seemed to go with the flow and follow the other's lead more often than not.

_Still, there's nobody outside of my team, Beryl included, I'd rather have at my side in a fight. I'm so very lucky to have these girls in my life._

The Cat Faunus smiled softly as she reminisced upon some of the adventures they'd had over the past year and a half, from pranks gone disastrously wrong to fights against overwhelming odds that they emerged from victorious. As a team, as a unit, there was nothing that they couldn't accomplish.

_Well, except for maybe getting Lustre to like the taste of coffee._

"You okay there, Evie?" the blue-haired girl asked curiously. "You got an odd look on your face."

Evie looked over at her friend and gave her a wide smile. "Eh, just reminiscing. And impatiently waiting for our fearless leader to finish up. Is she taking longer than usual?"

"Well, she does have a lot of hair," Lustre replied mildly.

"And she might want to primp a little extra for our arrival," Beryl added with a smirk.

Evie nodded sagely as she sat up. "Ah, very true, first impressions and all that. So, any bets as to how long till her first hook-up?"

"Hmm," Beryl mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I give her three days."

"Five," Lustre murmured without looking up from her book.

"Pfft, you two seriously underestimate the power of her hormones," Evie snickered. "I say by the second day at the latest. There's bound to be a cute boy that catches her eye by then."

"Ten lien?" Beryl asked mischievously.

"Agreed," Lustre replied. Evie nodded as well.

"Well, then," the blue-haired girl commented nonchalantly as she rose from her perch.

The other two girls watched as she calmly strode over towards the bathroom, opened the door, and walked inside.

Evie turned to Lustre in confusion. "What is she…?"

The sound of the toilet flushing was just barely audible over Pip's shrieks.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" they heard the blonde scream.

"Sorry, Pip!" Beryl called out over her shoulder as she walked back into the room. "We're running late, hurry up okay?"

"You conniving little girl," Evie grinned. "You're rushing her to blow her first impressions, aren't you?"

"Well, I did go for longer than the two days you picked," the blue-haired girl replied quite reasonably. Pip's muttered curses were clearly audible now through the open bathroom door. "I figure, by the second day she's gotten another shower, primped better, and will hook up by the following day. This way she won't want to go out tonight."

"That's fighting dirty, Blue," the Faunus smirked.

Beryl returned the smirk in earnest. "Hey, ten lien is ten lien."

"The two of you are incorrigible," Lustre sighed resignedly.

"But I didn't do anything this time!" Evie protested.

"Only because you did not think of it first, otherwise you would have blocked the door."

"Well…" The Cat Faunus glanced at her friends with a wry grin. "Yeah, okay, probably."

Pip chose that moment to stride out of the bathroom, one towel around her waist and another around her hair. Her lacy red bra was on, though it clung to her wet skin. Interestingly, though her bust was slightly smaller than Evie's, the Cat Faunus and Lustre both shared the same measurements. Beryl, much to her vociferous chagrin, wore the smallest cup size that they made adult bras for, in keeping with her slight and short stature.

"Seriously, Beryl, was that necessary?" the lanky blonde grumped, trying to wring out her long hair in her towel.

"Sorry again, Pip, but we don't want to be late, right?"

Evie snorted softly. By unspoken agreement, any wager placed on a teammate was not discussed with the girl in question so as to make the bet impartial. That didn't mean they wouldn't cheat outrageously, as Beryl just did, but that was the one rule they followed.

Theirs was an oftentimes odd friendship.

"Okay, Team Pearl, we all set?" Pip asked, her voice muffled by the school blouse she was slipping over her head rather than unbuttoning it. All of the Beacon students were required to wear their school uniforms on the trip. Though their team greatly preferred their usual combat attire for everyday wear, they tolerated the red plaid skirt and black jacket over the white blouse well enough. Lustre was the only one to flaunt the dress code blatantly with the omission of the red ribbon that was customarily tied at the collar, as well as the white ankle socks. For her part, Beryl preferred black full-length stockings to cover up the knobby knees she was so embarrassed over, while both Pip and Evie wore knee-high socks.

"Yep, just lemme grab my toiletries!" Beryl chirped as she skipped back into the bathroom. Evie and Lustre shared a grin at their diminutive teammate's enthusiasm. _Seems she's just as excited for a new adventure, even if it means she might have to talk to new people as well!_

A few minutes later saw the teens lugging their assorted suitcases, weapons cases, and duffle bags across campus. They met their peers with cheerful waves as they were wished luck. Pip had to stop every so often to speak with some of the members of her past liaisons as they expressed their own versions of 'good luck'.

"I don't know why you even bother putting lipstick on," Beryl grumbled as she struggled with the larger duffle containing her armor and sword case. Her shield was strapped onto the back of her rolling luggage, making it seem as if she were towing an overly large blue tortoise.

Pip snickered softly. "Can't help it if I'm popular with the boys," she laughed. "It's a tough job…"

"...But someone has to do them all," Evie finished for her with a smirk. "Oum, girl, is there any boy at Beacon you haven't hooked up with yet?"

"I'm not _that_ bad!" the blonde protested as they arrived at the waiting air bus. There was a line of similarly-dressed students waiting in line to board, all laden with luggage. "I do have standards, you know!"

"It is alright, Pip," Lustre interjected soothingly, seeing how their leader was beginning to take offense. "We are not implying you are, merely teasing."

"Oh, right." Pip rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I knew that."

Evie gave her friend a bump with her shoulder that was amicably returned. "You know I love you," she murmured with a wink.

"Back atcha, kitty cat," the lanky blonde grinned.

They stashed their luggage in the cargo compartment before heading for an open set of seats. Evie sat down in between Pip, who cheerfully grabbed the window seat, and Beryl, who was becoming more withdrawn as more students filed in.

"Hey," the Faunus said quietly. "You alright, Beryl?"

"Yeah, I'm just… I don't really know any of these third or fourth years very well." The blue-haired girl looked around nervously. "I'm really only going to know the three of you, aren't I…"

"We're not going to leave you anywhere on your own," Lustre reassured her from the other side.

"Yep, you're stuck with us!" Evie chirped as she grabbed Beryl's hand, capturing it over into her lap. "So just relax, okay?"

"Y- Yeah, relax… I can relax…"

Evie noted curiously that the small girl did not seem to be relaxing at all, despite her assurances. In fact, she seemed to be even more flustered. She turned to Pip with a small frown, who for some odd reason rolled her eyes at her.

_Did I say something wrong?_

Before she could pursue the matter, Pip cleared her throat. "Okay, Beryl, let's get that strategic mind of yours working for us. Give us a run-down of the teams from Beacon that are heading to Shade."

Beryl nodded her head firmly, her earlier apprehension slipping away as she sat up straighter and peered around with a new analytical look in her eyes. Evie grinned to herself. _Trust in Pip to find a way to set our resident tactical nerd at ease_. The shield-bearer was always watching the other students fight, always analyzing their moves and researching the other teams to figure out ways to improve their own maneuvers.

Unfortunately, to the team's general dismay, Pip was the one who came up with the ridiculous names for said maneuvers.

"Well, we have two third-year teams and three fourth-year teams. Honestly, I don't even know what DDLN is even doing here…"

Lustre snorted softly, glancing over at the four female students who looked like they would have been more at home in a library than in an arena. "They are all proficient dust-wielders, but I agree, their utility in a standup fight is sorely lacking."

"Well, Dandilion might surprise us…" Pip mused, tapping a finger on her chin. Evie sent her a skeptical look, but she knew as much as Beryl knew how teams fought, Pip knew people. She had a knack for figuring out who might be a diamond in the rough and confound everyone's expectations.

"So Team MRLD are mostly long-ranged, close with them and they fall apart easily," Beryl continued softly. "I figure they might get past the first round but after that, the others will figure that out. They won't go past doubles."

Pip grinned widely and leaned forward, rolling her hand in a motion to indicate she should continue.

"Both Teams AQUA and CBLT are pretty well-rounded and strong. In our league." The blue-haired girl stated the last without a bit of conceit, which also caused Evie to chuckle. _How easily we accept that a pair of fourth-year teams are our equals…_

"Who's the last one left?" Evie asked when Beryl fell silent.

Her petite friend sighed. "I actually don't know the other third-year team, IRIS, very well. They come off as ninjas, strike-and-fade sort of attacks. Never seen them do a standup fight. I'm not sure how they will fare."

"I know Raye," Lustre commented. "She took the advanced Dust Mechanics class with me this semester. She is strong of will."

"So at least one Dust Mage on their team," Pip said thoughtfully.

"Hey Lustre, why were you in that class anyways?" Evie asked curiously. "I mean, sure you're the closest we have to a Dust Mage, but not really…"

"I found it interesting," the silver-haired girl replied. "If nothing else to understand how others wield Dust more efficiently."

The Faunus nodded and shifted in her seat. She noticed that she still had Beryl's hand captured in her lap, and gave it a squeeze before letting it go. The blue-haired girl seemed to be reluctant in dragging it away again.

"So that's it then?" Pip asked. Beryl just nodded her head, blushing lightly. _I don't know why she gets embarrassed sometimes when we pay attention to her like this. She's got an awesome mind for this kinda stuff!_

"Nice job," Evie murmured softly in encouragement as she bumped the smaller girl with her shoulder. Beryl just nodded again, her blush intensifying. The Faunus just sighed, deciding to leave it alone for now.

Before too long they arrived at Vale's central terminal where the airship bound for Vacuo was waiting. After unloading their baggage, dragging it over to the appropriate terminal and waiting for about a half hour while they grabbed a quick lunch, they found themselves repeating their earlier process. Luggage was stored and they grabbed a row of far more comfortable seats in the same order as before.

"Okay, gang, time to relax," Pip sighed as she stretched her long legs out in front of her luxuriously. "Got a number of hours until we touch down again."

"Why is it you take the window seat when you intend to sleep the whole way?" Lustre asked humorously as she watched the blonde close her pale red eyes.

"'Cause I'm the leader," she snarked in reply. Evie swished her tail over to flick the lanky blonde on the nose, which made her partner giggle.

The others seemed content to follow her example and settled down contentedly. Their naps were interrupted by the serving of dinner, which to Evie's delight had the option of salmon.

"Oh, Evie," Pip grinned as she watched her Faunus friend drool over the dish being placed in front of her. "Looks like you're gettin' chocolate!"

"Mmm," the raven-haired girl moaned softly, chewing slowly on her first bite. "Oh, yes…"

"Damn, girl," Lustre chuckled. "You enjoying that meal?"

"Sounds more like she's having sex with it," Pip snarked, causing Beryl to choke on her drink. The others shared a laugh at the blue-haired girl's discomfort while she wiped her face off with a napkin.

"Can we _please_ not talk about sex in public?" Beryl whispered hoarsely.

Pip giggled. "Then tell Evie to stop making those noises."

"I can't help it if I enjoy my food," Evie replied loftily. "I don't get salmon all that often, and this is really well done."

"Besides which, you are the only one who would recognize such noises as being associated with sex," Lustre added.

"True enough," the blonde conceded.

Beryl sighed irritably. "Again with the sex talk!"

The Faunus reached over to pat Beryl's hand. "Okay, we'll behave. Right, guys?"

She received a chorus of agreements, causing Beryl to relax again slightly and smile at Evie in wordless thanks.

After dinner was cleared away, Pip sat up straighter and stared out the window. "Hey, guys… I think we're crossing into Vacuo's territory! Look at all the sand!"

The other three leaned over her, crowding around the single small porthole. "You know, there's an observation deck we could go look out of," the Cat Faunus commented.

"Where's the fun in that?" Pip snarked.

Beryl hummed thoughtfully. "That is a whole lot of sand," she stated.

"Indeed," Lustre agreed. "Though I do see some patches of green. I believe they are called oases."

"Oh-ah-seas?" Beryl asked.

"Oases. The plural form of Oasis."

"What an odd word."

"Indeed," Lustre agreed once more.

"C'mon, nerds," Pip chuckled, pushing back gently. "This means we'll be landing soon. Let's get our stuff together."

They straightened up their seating area as the sun began to set through the window. By the time Shade itself was visible, set just on the outskirts of the city of Vacuo, the sunset highlighted the grandiose structure.

"Well, that's a bit different from Beacon," Evie breathed, enchanted with the sight.

Shade Academy, unlike the grand tower of Beacon, was a collection of tiny minarets spaced around a large, square structure. What was notable were the colors on the rooftops, each tiny tower glittering like a rainbow in the light of the fading sun.

"Is that just one big building?" Beryl gulped, intimidated by the size of it.

Lustre shook her head, her disheveled silver locks swaying gently. "No, my understanding is that it is a large wall surrounding the buildings which are set into the wall itself. In the center is an open courtyard used for training and practice."

"Still, it's… big."

Evie reached over and gave her friend's arm a gentle squeeze. "Don't start fretting, alright? Just breathe. I'm sure it will look less intimidating closer up."

As it turned out, Evie couldn't have been further from the right of it.

The collection of Beacon students, led by a chipper Shade student guide who introduced herself as Bonnie, paused at the massive gates that led into the hunter academy.

"Evie?" the blue-haired girl squeaked.

"Yeah, sorry sweetie," the Faunus replied, slightly awestruck herself.

"Whelp," Pip announced, grabbing her team up into a hug from behind them. "No use standing around girls, this is the start of our big adventure together! C'mon, let's go see what our room looks like!"

The guide pointed out to the the dining hall as they passed it, as well as the other dorms. The visiting students from Atlas, Haven, and Beacon Academies were housed in a separate dorm furthest from the dining hall but closer to the instructional buildings. The students noted that the complex was filled with small passageways, almost like a warren, that threaded in between the buildings and the giant walls, sometimes running under the buildings themselves. As they traversed one such shortcut they came across a small garden set off to the side with benches and overhanging greenery clustered around a tall fountain.

"It's actually really pretty here," Evie mentioned. "I like the feel of it, though it's maybe a little… closed-off for my tastes."

"I like it too," Beryl added, sticking close on her team's heels though she still struggled with her bags. Fortunately, there were no stairs on their path, which is why the guide took them that way. "I just hope we don't get too lost on our own."

"I will not get us lost," Lustre assured them. "I have already mapped the facility out in my head."

"Such a dork," Pip laughed affectionately. "You going to be our planner again?"

Evie grinned at Lustre's irritable huff, though it was tinged with amusement. At the beginning of each semester, even their very first one, the silver-haired girl had drawn up schedules for them along with locations and a detailed map for the routes they'd need to take in order to be as efficient as possible.

Honestly, in the Faunus' opinion, their academics would have been in the toilet without Lustre's help.

"Of course," the dark-skinned girl replied levelly. "Unless you do not wish it."

"Nope, we wish it!" Beryl broke in worriedly. "We're all kinds of wishing for it right here!"

"Relax, Beryl, we're only teasing," Pip laughed. "Lustre knows how much we appreciate her efforts."

Lustre nodded with a smile. "So long as you keep me supplied with my tea, I consider it to be a fair trade."

By that point, they had arrived at their dorm. Each academy was given a floor to themselves, along with their own lounge and kitchenette, and theirs just happened to be on the ground level.

"Thank Oum," Beryl sighed.

"Almost there, babe," Pip grinned enthusiastically. "Don't drop on us now!"

"I still find it odd that the smallest of us has the greatest amount of baggage," Lustre commented as they headed down the hall. She nodded and smiled to Raye as they passed her team heading into one of the rooms.

"What is this, a toothpick case?" Pip snarked, hefting her greatsword case that she had slung over her muscular shoulder.

"Yes, for an oversized toothpick," Evie deadpanned.

"Says the girl with a bent blade."

"It's a scimitar, you oaf, and I can dance circles around you with it," Evie grinned at their usual banter.

"Dance? I'll make you dance next sparring we have!" Pip grinned back evilly.

"Girls, we are here," Lustre sighed indulgently, opening the door to their room.

The four of them staggered inside and dropped their bags to the floor.

Beryl looked around wide-eyed. "Well, this is…"

"Different?" Lustre supplied helpfully.

"Kinda exotic," Evie commented.

Pip laughed cheerfully. "I like it!"

The room was slightly larger than their second-year room at Beacon, and not just because of the different sleeping arrangements. There was a pair of bunk beds to each side, each seemingly hand-crafted out of wood into curved, almost organic shapes. The matching dressers were squat but wide with mirrors on each one, and instead of separate desks there was one long table straight ahead against the window overlooking the courtyard. Four separate cubbyholes with a small bookshelf on top adorned the table, and four ornate upholstered chairs were spaced apart. The floor was stone, though there was a fancy, red-patterned plush carpet that was spread out in the middle of the room.

Pip walked over to the door on the right and poked her head in. "Wow, nice-sized closet."

"Oh, you guys," Evie breathed as she did the same through the left-hand door. "You gotta come see this…"

The bathroom was the full length of the room, though a quarter of the width. At the near end was a toilet stall with a privacy gate bordered by a shower. A very long countertop had four separate sinks in it across a large, gild-framed mirror.

But the crowning glory lay at the far side of the bathroom.

"Is that a bathtub?" Beryl squeaked.

"It looks more like a hot tub," Pip replied, walking over. "Yeah, it's got nozzles in it for the water, and it's big enough for the four of us all at once."

Lustre sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes. "We shall be so very spoiled with all of this."

"I ain't complaining!" Pip laughed gleefully. "You guys wanna try it out tonight?"

Beryl blushed lightly. "Um, no, sorry… I didn't bring a bathing suit."

"Do you even own a bathing suit?" the Cat Faunus asked.

The blue-haired girl's blush intensified as she looked at the floor and mumbled in the negative.

"Well, I wasn't planning on using bathing suits anyway," their blonde leader proclaimed.

"What!?" Beryl squawked. Evie sighed, thinking that her face at this point might be considered an adequate heating source in the wintertime back home.

"Look, just think about it, okay?" Pip tried to sooth their diminutive teammate, her hands held out pleadingly. "I'm just saying it might be fun, and only with the four of us. You know nobody's gonna judge, right?"

Beryl opened and closed her mouth a few times like a fish out of water before turning and stomping back into the room wordlessly.

"I'd take that as a 'no', fearless leader," Evie snarked.

Pip grinned unabashedly. "Eh, she'll come around. I'm still game to try tonight. How about you guys?"

Evie shrugged. "Yeah, sure." She didn't have a problem with nudity so much, having developed an immunity to the blonde's lack of modesty.

Lustre hummed quietly. "I shall consider it," she hedged.

They three of them walked back into the room to see Beryl laying out on one of the bottom bunks on the other side and staring at the underside of the bed above her.

"Picked out yours already, babe?" Pip queried.

"Yes," Beryl replied shortly without looking over.

"Well, I did always wonder what it would be like having bunk beds," her partner commented. The silver-haired girl hefted herself up to the bed over Beryl's, stretching out with a relieved sigh. "And it is very comfortable as well."

Evie turned to her own partner. "Top or bottom?" she queried.

Pip grinned at her in reply. "Do you have any idea how many jokes I could make with that setup?"

"Please don't," Beryl moaned, throwing an arm across her face.

The raven-haired Faunus merely rolled her eyes. "Would you care to sleep on the top bunk or the bottom bunk?" she reiterated with precise enunciation.

"Eh, I'll take the top if that's okay with you."

"I suppose your snoring won't keep me up any more above me than it would next to me…"

Pip let out an offended gasp. "I don't snore!"

"Yes, you do."

"I _so_ do not."

"Do I need to dig out that video we captured the last time we argued about this?"

"That was clearly doctored and cannot be used as credible proof."

Evie chuckled as Pip launched herself up onto her new bed, bouncing a few times before she settled down. The Faunus sat on the edge of the bottom bed, glancing across the room. "Guys, back me up here. Does Pip snore?"

"Yes," Beryl and Lustre replied in monotone unison.

"See?"

"That's not proof, that's you guys ganging up on me."

"You are so delusional," Evie snarked as she stretched out on her mattress. "Oooh, this really is comfy."

"Delusional? Them's fightin' words, kitty cat."

"Oh, please, Pip. I can take anything you dish out."

"Guys," Beryl interrupted, finally rolling over to gaze at the other bunk. "As entertaining as I'm sure you think you are, it's been a long day already. Tomorrow will be exhausting as it is, can we maybe have lights out early?"

"But it's only nine!" Pip protested.

Evie reached a foot up and kicked upwards experimentally, causing the blonde to yelp. _That's gonna be useful,_ she grinned to herself. "Pip, she's anxious about meeting folk tomorrow. Be nice."

"Aw, sorry babe, I didn't mean it like that," Pip said to Beryl. "Sure, we can turn in early." She hopped back off and began stripping off her uniform. "Okay if I take this dresser next to the bathroom?"

"Sure," Evie replied, sitting up and pulling her shoes and stockings off. "Lustre, you going to set your alarm per usual?"

"That was my intention, yes," the silver-haired girl stated evenly. "Though it will not be easy for me to reach the desk from here."

"I can slap it off for you," Beryl assured her as she hopped off of her bed to unpack. "Which dresser you want?"

"It matters not, you may choose. And please do not slap my scroll."

"Sorry, Lustre, just an expression…"

The four girls quickly got their luggage unpacked while stashing their weapons and armor in the closet for the time being. Their guide had told them that after their morning classes on Monday, the relevant information for which had already been transferred to their scrolls, they would be guided to the armory and assigned temporary rocket lockers.

Pip had already mostly undressed and stood in her matching lacy red underwear. "So, who's gonna join me in the hot tub?"

"I shall pass," Lustre replied as she undressed and slipped her white kimono pajama over her shoulders.

Evie smiled at her partner. "Yeah, I'll join you."

Beryl didn't deign to answer, merely pulled her blue sleep pants on with her back turned.

The bath was incredibly relaxing. They couldn't quite figure out the jets, but they did automatically circulate the hot water pleasantly.

"I wonder if they sell, like, bath salts or fragrances or something like that here," Pip murmured sleepily, her arms draped over the edge and her eyes closed. She kept her long blonde hair out of the tub, the silken strands cascading down the steps behind her.

Evie sighed happily, sitting across from her naked partner. "I'm sure they do, we'll add it to the list."

"We have a list?"

"Sweetie, we have Lustre on our team. Of course there's a list."

"Point."

They were silent for a while, the sound of the water jets bubbling soothingly in the background.

"You know, you really should ease up on Beryl," Evie finally commented.

Pip cracked an eye open to peer at her Faunus partner. "Really?" she asked.

Evie frowned at the unidentifiable insinuation in her friend's voice. "Yes, really. Some things she's just not ready to break out of her shell for. Maybe never will be. Teasing her about it just makes her all flustered and upset."

"Hmm," Pip murmured. "I'm sure that's the only reason…"

"Pardon?" Evie really wasn't sure what her partner was getting at. Perhaps she'd been in the water for too long? Her own tail was getting rather water-logged, and though she didn't really have a problem with getting wet she didn't like to soak overly long. Perhaps humans might get the same way?

"Oh, nothing," the blonde mumbled. "You're awfully concerned for her."

"Of course I am, she's our teammate and friend."

"And sister?"

"Well, yes, I love all of you like my sisters. You know that."

"Hmm," Pip hummed in reply.

Evie snorted in exasperation, splashing a small wave of water at her friend as she made to get out. "Your brain is waterlogged, you're talking strange. C'mon, let's get some sleep."

"Yeah, yeah… Hey, you want me to help dry your tail off?"

The Cat Faunus froze as she was wrapping a towel around her nude body. "Er, no."

"You sure?"

Evie sighed and closed her eyes. She knew her partner was just being her usual warm and friendly self, but she'd made a promise earlier to let all of her team know anytime something like this came up. "Pip, that's a rather… intimate thing to suggest."

"Oh." Pip blinked uncertainly at her when Evie looked her way. She stood in the middle of the hot tub as it drained with her hands on her hips, the water cascading over her lean and lanky body. "Um, sorry."

Evie waved her apology away as she turned back around to dry herself off. "I know you didn't mean anything by it."

She could hear Pip getting out of the tub and grab a towel for herself. "You know…" the blonde began hesitantly. "This maybe isn't the best of times to discuss this, with us being naked and all…"

"Oh, this oughta be good," Evie snickered softly.

"Being serious here. I haven't had the chance to talk with you about this yet… but are you gonna, you know… maybe finally branch out a little bit here, or are you still, um…"

The Cat Faunus shook her head mildly as she pulled her black camisole over her head and slipped on her sleep shorts. She knew her partner meant well, but…

"My feelings on this haven't changed," she said softly as she turned. Pip was still standing with her towel in hand, drying her legs off. As usual, she didn't pay the blonde's nudity any mind. "You know I'm waiting."

"Yeah, I get that, I do," Pip insisted, pulling her cherry red nightshirt over her head before continuing. "But, you know… being away from Beacon and all, maybe you can test the waters some. Just date someone, that's all, and even if not someone from Shade or one of the other schools… maybe there's someone from Beacon you could get close to, and they would return with us…"

Evie tilted her head curiously. "Do you know of someone who likes me?"

"No, no of course not!" Pip backpedaled. The Faunus sent her a disbelieving look, to which she sighed and shook her head. "Look, I promise you, there is nobody who has expressed to me any interest in you, okay? But, babe… how are you gonna find a mate if you don't look?"

"Pip, we're students in a school training to be huntresses. When would I even have the time for such nonsense?" Evie tried being reasonable, knowing that her partner merely wanted her to be happy. And she was, really, unbelievably happy with her team, and that was plenty for her. "I don't need to be looking right now, okay?"

"Okay, I'll drop it," Pip grinned. "Besides, that just leaves more pickings for me."

Evie chuckled while draping her wet towel over the rack. "You're assuming I'm into boys."

The blonde dropped her towel in surprise. "Wait, seriously? You're into girls? Why has this never come up before?" She scratched the back of her head as she bent to retrieve the fallen towel. "No, wait, I distinctly remember you mentioning a boyfriend in the distant past…"

"Yes, back when I actually dated at Signal, before Beacon, I did have a boyfriend." She smiled slightly at the memory and the fun she'd had with the Monkey Faunus, his playful nature bringing out the same in her. "But he turned out to not be my type for a lasting relationship."

"Sooo…?" Pip drawled before her eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh, you like both?"

"Well, I don't _dislike_ either," Evie replied. "I just don't have a preference. Not that I'm looking."

"Interesting," the blonde murmured as she walked towards the door. "Good to know."

Evie blinked forward, using her semblance to interpose herself between Pip and the door. "Pippin Cerise, you are _not_ about to set me up with anyone," she warned.

"Nope, absolutely not!" Pip grinned back disarmingly. "C'mon, let's get to sleep."

As she lay in her bed, listening to the soft breathing from both beds across the room, and her partner's attempts to get into a comfortable position, though she'd be sprawled on her stomach come morning anyways, Evie pondered her friend's words.

_I'm not here for romance, I'm here to learn to become a huntress. Well, at Beacon anyways, here at Shade we have a tourney to prepare for, alongside the schoolwork that we still have to keep up with. There's no possible way anything like that is going to happen._

Still, while her eyes were closed and her breathing slowed, a small part of her brain insisted that, even with as happy as she was with her team, sometimes she did long for something… more. A warm pair of arms to hold her at night, perhaps…

Evie ruthlessly pushed that little voice aside. Or at least she tried to as she eased herself into sleep once more, curled up on her side and facing the other bunk beds.

_Maybe it would be nice… someday…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, bit of a long chapter here. I just needed to carry forth in Evie's voice for a little longer. I actually split the chapters up because of this one, it kinda got away from me. It happens sometimes. I'd love it if every chapter were this long, but we'll see, since I'm doing it scene by scene depending on the voice I'm using. I suppose I could change voices midway through, but eh.
> 
> Ultimately I did decide to break this one up as it just got too unwieldy, so next chapter is in Evie's voice as well.
> 
> I realize I'm taking a few liberties with the Faunus here. But I also think that, as much as Blake becomes comfortable around her teammates, she's still not about to actually act out the instincts she might have. Some are involuntary, like her love of fish and with the laser pointer. But I imagine she suppresses as much as she can. So, for this story, I'm imagining how a Faunus might act with folk she considers to be family in an era where it isn't as shameful to be a Faunus. Yes, there's still discrimination, and that will come up at some point I think. But Evie's team accepts and loves her, especially when acting like a kitty cat.
> 
> It can be liberating to be able to be yourself.


	4. Impressions

**Volume 1** **  
** **Shade Academy**   
**Sunday Morning**

Evie bounced out of her bed eagerly the instant she heard Lustre's alarm going off. "Okay, guys, dibs on first shower!" she proclaimed.

A pair of sleepy mumbles emerged from the bunk above hers as well as across from her, though Lustre smiled at her agreeably. "Go right ahead," the silver-haired girl replied softly over her ever-present book from where she sat up on her bed.

The Cat Faunus set a new personal record for getting ready that morning as she knew she'd need to work hard to rouse her teammates. While Lustre took her place, she paced the room, looking at the pair of occupied beds eagerly.

_Sooo, who gets the Evie treatment this morning… I suppose, since Pip already got pounced yesterday, that leaves…_

She dropped to the floor, crawling across on all fours towards Beryl's bed, her tail swishing playfully behind her. An eager grin creased her face as she slowly rose up over the edge, her twitching black furry ears visible before her sapphire eyes could crest the edge.

A pair of bronze eyes, twinkling merrily, stared back at her.

"Aww," Evie pouted. "No fair."

"Would it help if I closed my eyes again?" Beryl asked humorously.

"No, it's not the same," Evie sighed, flopping back on her haunches.

The blue-haired girl reached a small hand out from under the covers, wiggling her fingers in mid-air. "C'mere, kitty cat, I'll still give you a scritch."

"Yay!" Evie exclaimed, scooting back over to the bed and propping her chin on the edge. "You're the best, Beryl."

Her eyes closed as Beryl began to scratch lightly at the base of her ears, though she did catch the slight blush on her friend's face beforehand. _She has_ so _got to get over this shyness, I thought we were past that when I'm acting like a cat… I suppose I'll just have to step up the antics, maybe it's been awhile…_

Still purring loudly, Evie eased herself up into Beryl's bed and curled up next to her, kneading the smaller girl's side gently with her hands.

"E- Evie!" Beryl stammered. "W- What are you doing?"

"Relax, I'm just being me," she said in reply, giving a soft _mewl_ as Beryl moved her hand up to gently stroke one of her ears. She let out a soft hum of contentment, which was broken by the sound of a scroll capturing a picture.

She cracked her eyes open to glare at Pip over her shoulder, who was standing by the bed with a wide grin on her face. "Really?" she asked.

"Oh, you'll thank me for this one day," the blonde called out cheerfully as she walked off, wagging her scroll over her shoulder. "One day."

"I don't get that girl sometimes," Evie grumbled, closing her eyes again. Beryl had ceased her ministrations, so she gave her hand a helpful nudge with her head. The blue-haired girl quickly resumed her scratching at the base of her ears.

Eventually Lustre finished up her shower, though Pip was already in there brushing her teeth and taking care of other biological necessities. The silver-haired girl was shaking her head as she entered the bedroom.

"Did you know there is no lock on the bathroom door?" she asked levelly.

Evie snorted out a laugh as she rolled out of the bed and onto the floor in a crouch. "I'm guessing Pip is taking outrageous advantage of that fact."

"Indeed. I am surprised that girl does not simply parade around campus naked."

"Please don't give her ideas," Beryl groaned as she sat up.

Grinning, Evie launched herself up and into the blue-haired girl's arms, giving her a warm hug. "Thanks for the pets, sweetie," she murmured before pulling back and walking over to her dresser.

"Um, y- yeah, sure thing," Beryl stammered out behind her.

Evie noted Lustre giving her an odd look, which she laughed off. "What, I'm in a good mood again today, we get to meet folk at lunch!"

"Oh, yay," Beryl deadpanned, stretching as she rose from her bed.

"We could have met them at breakfast," Lustre commented, running her fingers through her damp silver hair.

"Pfft, not with these two," Evie laughed, pointing first at the bathroom and then behind her in Beryl's general direction. She brushed out her raven tresses while she talked and tied it back into her customary ponytail. "How many breakfasts have you been to since attending the academy, Beryl?"

"I've been to a few," her friend grumbled. "Back in the first year. When you made me."

Evie and Lustre shared a soft snicker. The raven-haired Faunus grabbed her makeup and walked into the bathroom where she felt the lighting might be better. "You okay with me sharing space, blondie?"

"You know I am, babe!" Pip replied over the sound of the shower.

Grinning she stood at the counter and worked on adding some subtle makeup while Pip finished up. As the lanky blonde exited the shower, wringing her hair out, she gave the raven-haired Faunus a smirk.

"Gettin' primped, are we?" Pip grinned at her in the mirror.

"First impressions and all," Evie replied evenly.

"Exactly. I have taught you well, young one."

"Oh, bite me."

"You wish, kitty cat."

"Come on you two," Beryl called out irritably. "Lunch starts in an hour and I haven't even gotten my shower yet!"

"Well, come on in and be my guest, babe, you know I don't mind!" Pip called out cheerfully.

"Pip," the Faunus warned gently.

"Oh, Dust, right," the blonde muttered, remembering the previous night's discussion. "Er, sorry Beryl," she said in a louder voice. "Didn't mean to tease you, I'll be out in just a sec!"

She did the minimal amount of drying necessary before skipping out just ahead of Evie. "All yours," the Faunus winked at the smaller girl who was waiting with barely restrained impatience with her clothes in hand.

"Thanks," the blue-haired girl murmured with a slight blush as she brushed by them, closing the bathroom door behind her.

"Oh, hey, completely forgot about the mirrors!" Pip exclaimed while standing at her dresser. "I can get my makeup done here!"

Evie flopped onto her bunk, lying on her side while she watched her friends. Pip was concentrating hard on applying just enough makeup so that it didn't look forced. _It really does make her coral eyes pop with that pink eyeliner._ On the other side of the room and up on her bunk, Lustre was, surprisingly, not engaged with a book for a change. Instead, she was tapping intently into her scroll, her earlier book lying by her side.

"Hey, whatcha working on there, Lustre?" she asked curiously, her tail curling around her waist like a furry belt.

The silver-haired girl didn't pause in her typing. "Our schedules for the week," she murmured. "Fortunately we are all in the same classes, though I am afraid I will be bored senseless in some of them."

"Oh, no, Lustre must associate with us mere mortals!" Pip snickered as she finished up her makeup. "Such tragic hardship!"

"Hush, you," Lustre replied without rancor. "In any case, we will have plenty of time in between most of our classes. History will be first thing on Monday, taught by Professor Darcy, and then in the afternoon is Combat Instructional Class." She finally looked up with a grin. "It is actually taught by the headmaster, Professor Zaff."

"The headmaster for Shade is called Zaff?" Evie asked curiously. She rolled her eyes at the look Lustre shot her. "What? It's not like I look these things up beforehand."

"Obviously," Lustre sighed, though she gave her a small, affectionate smile. "In any case, that will be our schedule for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays we shall have two slightly longer classes, Grimm Biology in the morning with Professor Cyan and then after lunch is Dust Mechanics with Professor Nyanza."

"I'm guessing the last one will be the boring one for you," Evie commented. "Since you took that advanced class."

Lustre blinked her eyes slowly. "Er, yes, that is correct."

"See?" Evie grinned, stretching out her back in a very feline-like manner. "I pay attention."

Beryl walked through the door, adjusting her black stockings as she walked. "Okay, I think I caught most of that. So you're gonna give us maps and all, right Lustre?"

"Of course I shall," the silver-haired girl smiled at her partner. "Not initially as we shall remain with each other for the first two days, but once I have determined the most efficient routes I shall relay them to you all."

"Awesome!" Pip cheered, crawling around on her hands and knees to locate her shoes. "Thanks, babe!"

Beryl sat on the edge of her bed, pulling her own shoes on. "So," she sighed, dread lacing her words. "Are we ready to do this?"

The Cat Faunus rolled off of her bed and made a long leap to land in front of the morose diminutive girl. "It's gonna be fine, Beryl," she murmured sincerely. "Just stick with us, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Beryl finished putting her shoes on but kept her eyes downcast. "Thanks, Evie."

"Anytime, sweetie." She jumped back to her feet, twirling about in a circle with her tail flung out and almost striking Beryl in the face. "So, let's go guys!"

The four of them collected themselves and walked out of their room, heading for the dining hall.

There weren't many other students walking with them until they reached the other dorms. At that point they were joined by several Shade residents, dressed informally for the most part in colorful shirts, skirts, and pants. Unlike the academies at Beacon, Haven, and Atlas, there seemed to be no official school uniform there.

"I feel ridiculous," Evie whispered.

"Do not be like that," Lustre chided gently. "We should be proud of our uniform. However… perhaps we might get away with wearing our more casual outfits here at Shade."

"Hmm, we don't have any professors from Beacon that accompanied us," Pip agreed slowly, considering the option. "Remind me tonight, I'll go ask the other Beacon teams what they think. Maybe if we all do it at once, nobody will complain. Just wear the uniforms for formal occasions, like the reception tomorrow evening."

"Please," Beryl breathed. "I would be _so_ much more comfortable in my battle clothes."

They entered the dining hall, their dark jackets and red plaid skirts making them obvious in the colorful sea of people. More than a few curious glances were sent their way, as well as whispered comments, though nobody seemed to be in any hurry to approach them.

Beryl slipped behind the others, sticking close to them. "They're all staring at us," she moaned softly.

"That's because we're so awesome," Pip chuckled as they headed for the line. "They're basking in our magnificence."

Evie snorted out a laugh, but before she could make a snarky comment a squeal came from behind them.

"Oh my Oum, you are _sooo_ cute, I love your hair, c'mere, you have _got_ to come with me and let my team see you!"

The team turned as one to see a frantic and rather hapless-looking Beryl being dragged off through the crowds by another girl, of whom only a flash of orange-red hair could be seen.

"Oh, Dust," Evie sighed as she nimbly sprinted after her beleaguered teammate, the others on her heels.

They stopped by a table that had three other students sitting there. Clinging tenaciously to the clearly panicked-out-of-her-mind Beryl was a Fox Faunus with a bushy tail wagging merrily behind her. She was fairly short, only a couple inches taller than her blue-haired prisoner, and from what they could see from behind wore a dark yellow halter top and biker shorts in a brighter yellow. The other notable fact about her was her bare feet.

Evie stood there uncertainly, unsure whether or not to forcibly remove the girl's hands from her teammate, but Pip took charge of the situation smoothly.

"Excuse me," she interjected over the excitable Faunus' babbling at what must have been her team. "You seem to have kidnapped our teammate. May we have her back?"

The girl rounded on them without relinquishing her grip on Beryl's arm. "Oh, hi!" she greeted them, her amber eyes glowing excitedly. Now that they could see more details, they noticed the bright yellow headband keeping her shoulder-length orange-red hair off of her face, as well as the many jewel-colored necklaces and bracelets that adorned her. "I'm _sooo_ happy to meet you! So, I'm Sunny! Can I keep her?"

"Hi, Sunny," the blonde replied, reaching forward to gently but firmly extract Beryl from her grip. "My name's Pip. And no, sorry."

"Awww, can I maybe borrow her? She has, like, the coolest hair! I've never seen a blue that vibrant before!"

"Sunny, down girl!" one of the laughing students at the table called out. The girl had purple hair that was short and spiky with matching eyes and wore a cornflower blue blouse. Her arm was wrapped around another student's shoulder sitting next to her, a raven-haired boy with a scruffy but good-looking face and a red vest that exposed his chest. "Sorry about her, she's a little, um… enthusiastic."

Beryl let out a small whimper as she hid behind Evie. The Cat Faunus reached back with a reassuring hand which was immediately gripped feverently.

"Eh, well I'm not normally one to make a big deal out of things," Pip began sheepishly. "But Beryl, she's the girl that you dragged along... she's a little mistrustful of strangers."

The purple-haired girl sighed and gave the Fox Faunus a stern glare. "Sunny. Apologise."

"But-"

"Sunny."

"Oh, fine, but you know I didn't mean anything by-"

"Sunny!"

The redhead sighed and scuffed the floor with her bare foot while looking down. "Um, I'm sorry, Beryl, for dragging you off like that. I think you have really pretty hair, though, and an even prettier name."

Evie had to hide her grin behind her free hand while Pip nodded her head solemnly, only the very edges of her mouth curled upwards slightly. "Thank you for apologising, Sunny." The blonde turned to look over Evie's shoulder at the visibly shaken Beryl. "You okay with that, babe?"

"Y- Yeah," Beryl muttered. "It just, um… took me by surprise."

"So!" the purple-haired girl said, her visage relaxed and friendly once more. "You've met our Sunny Titian there. My name's Tara Wine, and this is my boyfriend and teammate Quicksilver Claret, but everyone just calls him Q. And this big lump over here," she indicated with her head the fourth member, a tall boy with reddish-brown hair that was swept back into a long ponytail and wearing a dark brown duster that left his muscular chest bare as well, "is Rufus Henna. We're Team Turquoise, that's T-R-Q-S, second-years here at Shade."

"Pleasure to meet you all," the blonde smiled warmly. "I'm Pippin Cerise, but you can call me Pip. This is Evie Black, Lustre Bijou, and then Beryl. We're Team Pearl, P-E-R-L, from Beacon, also second-years."

"Just Beryl?" Sunny asked, her eyes sparkling.

"That's what she goes by," Pip replied calmly, unwilling to concede further ammunition for embarrassment in the form of her hated first name. Evie smiled to herself softly at the leader's consideration of their friend.

"Cool, so we're likely going to have classes with you," Q spoke up. His voice was low and quiet but with an intensity that would catch a person's attention no matter how boisterous the background noise might be. His pale grey eyes were crinkled in mirth as he watched Beryl try to keep Evie between her and the excitable Fox Faunus.

"I would imagine so," Lustre replied politely. She was keeping a wary eye on Sunny, her posture indicating she was prepared to jump in as well to protect her partner from further harassment. "Perhaps we can compare schedules?"

"Sounds good," Rufus chimed in. He had a pleasant tenor and eyes the color of warm chocolate. Interestingly he seemed to not be able to take said eyes off of Pip.

Evie glanced over at her partner, and rolled her eyes when she saw that Rufus' attentions were being returned in earnest. "Hey, fearless leader," she snarked. "How about we grab some food?"

"Oh, yeah, good idea babe," Pip grinned. "Okay if we return and join you?"

"Absolutely!" Tara grinned back. "We'll push another table up!"

The four teammates walked off, surrounding a still shaken Beryl. Apparently Sunny might have followed them, but a stern word from Tara brought her up short.

"Well, at least Tara seems to be able to, er…" Pip trailed off uncomfortably.

Evie snorted humorously. "You were about to say, 'put her on a leash', weren't you?"

"Yeah, but then I realized how incredibly racist that sounded."

"Don't worry about it, I get it and don't mind. Don't know how sensitive she might be, so yeah, watch stuff like that around her, but still… Wow, she was hyper."

"I might have a few other words I could use," Beryl muttered. She was still clinging to Evie's hand tenaciously, and the raven-haired Faunus noted that her other hand was encased in her partner's.

"I don't think she meant any harm," Pip tried to reassure her. "She's just enthusiastic and wanted to make friends with you."

Beryl grumbled a few things under her breath. Even her Faunus hearing couldn't pick up on much of it, but it was decidedly non-complementary.

"Do we have to go back and sit with them?" the blue-haired girl finally asked querulously.

"Hey, hold up," Pip ordered. The three of them halted while Pip moved around to stand in front of them.

"Look, I'm not going to force you into anything," the blonde stated earnestly. "If you're super uncomfortable sitting with them, then we'll grab our food and just give them our apologies, okay?"

Beryl looked down at the floor for a few heartbeats. Eventually she released her grip on both Evie and Lustre, taking a few deep breaths. "Even though you couldn't stop looking at that big guy, what was his name, Rufus?"

"Yeah, even though," Pip smiled softly. "You're what matters here, Beryl. So tell me what you want to do."

The blue-haired girl wrapped her arms around her middle and closed her eyes. She muttered a few more things under breath, of which Evie caught something that sounded like 'Dust-damned ten lien'. "Okay," she finally stated, looking up. "Yeah, we can sit with them. Just, please, don't put me next to Sunny?"

"You got it, babe," Pip grinned, giving her a quick hug. "C'mon, let's see what kinda grub they have here."

As it turned out, the food leaned towards the spicy end. The chef's eyes lit up when Lustre spoke with him regarding the heat levels of his food, and her resulting chicken sandwich seemed to have been thoroughly soaked in a sauce that practically bubbled all on its own.

"Lustre, I think your sandwich is going to eat through your plate," Evie complained lightly.

"Not before it gets in my belly," the silver-haired girl retorted eagerly.

The Cat Faunus laughed, happy that they catered to so many different tastes here. She was able to find a fish sandwich that didn't seem to be heavily spiced in any way, and noted that both Beryl and Pip picked up simple burgers. They weaved their way through the crowds until they ended up back with Team TRQS, who had indeed pulled another table up.

Pip promptly plopped herself down across from Rufus with a sly smirk, Lustre on the other side of her. Sunny looked to be ready to pounce into whatever seat was open next to Beryl, but the Cat Faunus deftly blocked her and allowed the blue-haired girl to sit in between her partner and herself.

"Oh my Oum, she got a face-melter!" Q announced with horror as he noted Lustre's plate.

The other members of the Shade team leaned away from the silver-haired girl warily, which made the Beacon students snicker.

"One thing you will learn about our dear Lustre here," Pip laughed, "is to never underestimate the strength of her stomach lining."

"Also, never accept food from her," Evie added.

"Like, never ever," Beryl murmured with a fond smile as she glanced at her partner.

Lustre just shook her head sorrowfully. "Such comedians," she sighed before taking a decent-sized bite out of her sandwich. Red sauce oozed and bubbled out of the end, and Evie could have sworn she heard the plate sizzle where it landed.

The others intently watched her as she chewed thoughtfully. Finally Lustre swallowed and smiled. "Not bad at all," she commented. "I have had hotter, of course. But it is quite pleasurable."

"Sooo," Tara drawled hesitantly, unable to keep her eyes off of Lustre. "You guys are in the tourney, huh?"

"Yep, we sure are," Pip grinned. "We're actually the only second-years from Beacon participating in the Vytal Tournament."

"That's so cool!" Sunny exclaimed. "So you guys must be really really good, huh?" The Fox Faunus was leaning around Evie in order to look at Beryl.

"We're pretty decent," Evie replied modestly.

"Right, then," Rufus stated, crossing his arms over his impressive chest and grinning widely at Pip. "What's your weapon?"

"Greatsword," Pip answered nonchalantly. "You?"

"Same actually."

"Hmm. Mods?"

" _Claidheamh Mor_ has an extended hilt and guard," he began proudly. "Better maneuverability. Also got a dust chamber, lets me channel my semblance through it."

"And what would that be?" the blonde returned coquettishly. Evie groaned slightly at her partner's blatant flirtatious attitude, though everyone else at the table seemed to be highly amused with the pair.

"Sonic," the auburn-haired boy stated with a smirk. "I can knock a wall down, not to mention an Ursa. Now, how about you?"

"Well, my baby, _Odachi Dahlia_ , is also a high-caliber sniper rifle," Pip replied offhandedly, twirling a spoon in her hand. "But it's dust-reinforced so that it can handle my own semblance."

Rufus leaned forward slightly. "Which would be?"

"Well," Pip smirked, setting the spoon down. "I can make her really." She placed an elbow on the table. "Really." Her hand cupped her chin as she gazed into Rufus' eyes with her own pale red irises. " _Hot_."

Evie groaned once more as Rufus licked his suddenly dry lips. "Oum preserve us," she heard Beryl mutter.

"Well, damn, Rufus," Tara chortled. "I think you found someone who just might be able to keep up with you."

"Oh, I don't know," the blonde purred. "I'm wondering if he can keep up with _me_."

Rufus cleared his throat. "So, you busy tonight?"

Pip gave him a sultry smile. "Depends on what you have planned."

"Dammitall," Beryl grumbled, digging a ten-lien chip out of her pocket and throwing it down in front of Evie in disgust. Lustre followed suit but with far more aplomb.

"Pleasure doing business with you ladies," Evie smirked.

Pip threw her head back and laughed uproariously. "I should have known the three of you would wager on that," she gasped out, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

"You all are rather different from most of the students from Beacon we've met," Tara said with a cautious smile.

"Oh, yeah," Evie grinned. "We are at that."

"Hey, so are you guys in the tourney also?" Beryl timidly asked after swallowing a bite from her burger.

"No, unfortunately Q's semblance disqualified us," Tara sighed, though she gave her boyfriend a reassuring peck on his cheek. "He's just too good."

"Oh, really? And what would that be?" Beryl leaned forward, her interest piqued.

"Aura regeneration," Q replied cheekily. "It works fast enough that I almost never run out."

"Wow," the blue-haired tactician breathed. Evie nodded, just as impressed. With an aura that was practically limitless, he could take any amount of hits and just keep fighting as his defensive aura blocked whatever damage came his way. She eyed her petite teammate as she could see the gears visibly spinning in her head. And then it was as if a lightbulb went on over her blue bangs.

Beryl glanced at Evie with a grin and a wink. _Hmm, so she figured out a way to get around that already, huh? This could be interesting…_

The Cat Faunus cleared her throat gently, catching Pip's attention from where she was mooning over the muscular Rufus and his biceps. The blonde glanced at her, then noted how her ears were twitching towards Beryl. It only took her a second or two to get the message as her brain caught up with the previous conversation.

"You know what would be really cool?" their leader asked with a grin. "If we both have combat class together tomorrow afternoon, we should spar. Our two teams against each other."

"Really?" Tara asked, her purple irises sparkling eagerly. "I mean, yeah, that'd be awesome!"

"Cool!" Pip replied as their agreement was accepted with nods from around the table. She flicked her blond hair over her shoulder and gave a glance around at her team.

 _Right_ , Evie thought with another nod. _We'll discuss the specifics back in our room_.

They spent the rest of lunch chatting amicably with their new friends. Afterwards Tara and Q volunteered to show the team around campus, which they quickly agreed to. Beryl was a little more hesitant to walk where the vivacious Sunny might be able to get ahold of her again, but she was in full-on information gathering mode for the next day's fight and managed to push past her trepidation.

The Fox Faunus still managed to latch onto her side, though she made sure to keep a small physical distance between them.

"Sooo, Beryl, what do _you_ fight with?" the strawberry-haired girl asked cheerfully.

Evie glanced at her diminutive teammate and quirked an eyebrow. _Need rescuing?_

Beryl sighed in reply and gave a slight shake of her head and then tilted it to the side. _Not yet, no, but please don't abandon me with her._

The Cat Faunus grinned and winked. _Never happen._

Tara sidled up to Evie's side as they walked through the campus. "You four seem extremely close," she murmured somewhat appreciatively. "Don't think I didn't notice the nonverbals."

The raven-haired Faunus smiled. "And I noticed yours as well. Seemed a little off, though."

"Yes, well, keeping Sunny's attention is a futile effort under the best of circumstances," the purple-haired team leader admitted wryly. "It's a good thing she's a terror in an actual fight."

"We _are_ pretty close," Evie agreed with her initial statement. "Family, you might say."

"That's really neat," Tara replied warmly.

"Yeah," she said with a soft smile as she glanced at her teammates. "It is." She frowned suddenly. "Wait, did Pip and Rufus ditch us already?"

Tara stopped in her tracks and swiveled her head around. "Those little…" She barked out a quick laugh.

"Hormones," Evie grinned ruefully. "What are ya gonna do, huh?"

"True enough."

"So, you and Q? How long has that been going on?"

"Just since summer break," Tara replied with a smirk. "I met up with him for a date that he didn't realize was a date. And then I was very, very convincing as to why he should date me."

"Nice," Evie chuckled. Absently she listened in on Sunny and Beryl's conversation as her teammate began to grow more flustered in her answers. Finally her cat ears perked up at the current line of questioning.

"...So you _do_ like girls, then?" Sunny was asking intently.

"I- I- Um, I mean…" Beryl stammered, blushing furiously. "Well, I suppose so, yeah…"

"Sweet! Me too!" Sunny grinned widely. "We should totally hook up!"

Evie groaned as Beryl looked completely panic-stricken at the notion. _Time to make with the rescuing._

"Hey, Beryl, sweetie," she called out. "Is your stomach still upset from the flight yesterday? You look a little green."

"Oh, um… Yeah, yeah I suppose it is," Beryl replied with a weak smile. She angled her walk over towards her partner who was chatting with Q about a book series relating to the history of Grimm that they had both enjoyed. "Lustre, would you mind coming with me back to the room, make sure I don't get lost?"

"Of course, Beryl," Lustre said agreeably, noting the look of panic on her friend's face. She glanced over her shoulder as she began steering Beryl off towards a side street. "Will you be able to return as well on your own, Evie?"

"I'll be fine, guys," the Cat Faunus smiled and waved.

Sunny made as if to follow, but Tara flicked her fingers at her boyfriend.

"Hey, Sunny, why don't we go see what the cooks have leftover from the lunch dessert tray," the raven-haired boy prompted, grabbing the Fox Faunus around her shoulders.

"But… But…"

"I think I saw brownies."

"Really?" Sunny's amber eyes lit up in pleasure.

"Yep, really. C'mon, let's go, we'll see them tomorrow."

"Well, okay… Bye, Beryl!" she called out loudly at the two Beacon student's retreating backs. "I'll talk to you tomorrow!"

Evie chuckled as Q steered Sunny back off to the dining hall. "Nicely done," she murmured.

With a sigh, Tara shook her head. "You'll have to forgive Sunny, she really does mean well. She just has this slight problem of completely missing the filter that goes from her brain to her mouth. Also, she's an incredibly outgoing lesbian. Never seen her gush over someone like she did with poor Beryl before, though."

"Hmm," Evie replied noncommittally. "That so?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid she's pretty well smitten. Do you think Beryl might be receptive to, er… something like that?"

"Honestly? I don't really know." Evie looked up at the bright sky as she walked, her tail flicking thoughtfully behind her. "You have to understand, Beryl is incredibly anxious in social situations. And I'm afraid Sunny got off on the completely wrong foot with her."

"Yeah, she does tend to blow first impressions," Tara laughed. "Still, she's a sweet kid. I know she's the same age as us, but we all look at her as our little sister. We just want her to be happy."

"Well, I suppose the same could be said for Beryl," Evie smiled. "It's not a good idea to push her, though. If you want to have a talk with Sunny and let her know to ease off some, not come across so aggressively, she might be more…"

The Faunus paused consideringly. Would she actually be receptive? She'd never really thought of Beryl as having a relationship with anyone, she was just always a part of the team. Pip, sure she would sometimes be off on romantic liaisons, not nearly as often as Evie would tease her, of course, but the four of them were a solid unit. Could she imagine Beryl off with someone outside of the team?

The thought of it caused an unfamiliar feeling to creep in and curl around her gut. It wasn't one she'd experienced before, and she decided she didn't like it at all, so decided to abandon that train of thought entirely.

"Well, you get my meaning," she simply stated.

Tara nodded, her lips pursed. "I think so, yeah. Worth a shot, anyway." She looked up as they passed the towering first-year dormitory. "Well, my bunk is this way and yours is in the opposite direction. I should go wait for Sunny and Q, have that little talk maybe before she gets it into that cute little head of hers to do something drastic."

"Please do," Evie smiled. "And hey, it was really great to meet you."

The purple-haired girl grinned and wrapped her up in a hug. It felt a little strange hugging someone the same height as herself, as Evie was used to hugs more from Beryl and Pip. Lustre was very much not a hugger.

"I'm glad we met as well," Tara murmured. "See you guys at dinner?"

"Definitely," she nodded. The Cat Faunus gave her a little wave as she turned to head over to the guest dorms.

_What was with that earlier feeling? It certainly wasn't a positive one. Don't I want Beryl to be happy?_

She snorted to herself humorously as she walked through the doors and into the cooler interior of the building. She hadn't realized how warm it was outside.

_Of course I do. She's a sister to me, I want whatever will make her happy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so that ends Evie's voice for now, and takes us through Sunday! The next chapter will be from Beryl's viewpoint for the first time as she tries to fend off the attentions of a very enthusiastic Fox Faunus. It makes me giggle to think of Sunny's bushy fox tail wagging happily behind her.
> 
> Also next chapter we get to see some action as Team TRQS faces off against Team PERL, and Beryl's plan is revealed...


	5. Play

**Volume 1**

**Shade Academy**   
**Monday Morning**

Radiance Beryl, though she preferred to forget that first name was even associated with her, woke to the sounds of screaming. She blinked her bronze-colored eyes warily, quickly determining the cause of her team leader's screams as being that of an overly affectionate Cat Faunus with a deplorable fondness for mornings.

_Wonder how long it will take to get that playfulness out of her system…_

She rolled over to see Evie pawing at the covers that her team leader Pip had drawn over her head. "No fair, that's cheating!" the raven-haired girl protested. "No hiding allowed, you coward!"

"I regret nothing!" came the muffled reply. Only a few long strands of wispy blond hair were visible from beneath Pip's doubtful bastion.

Beryl sighed affectionately as she watched the antics of two of her very best friends. As had become their routine there at Shade, Lustre was getting her shower while Evie took up the duty of rousing the less morning-inclined of the team.

The Cat Faunus glanced over mischievously in her direction, sapphire blue eyes twinkling. "You up, Beryl?"

She raised her hands in surrender. "I'm up, I'm up, no need for pounces!"

Evie gave a small pout before returning her attention to her reluctant partner. "If you're not gonna play, then I have to break out the big guns."

"What? Oh, no, don't you dare!" Pip shouted, struggling mightily as the other girl extended her hands that were now formed like claws. "Evie, I mean it don't you- AAAHHHAHAHAHA!"

The pair rolled off of the bed, Pip gasping for breath as Evie laid into her, tickling mercilessly.

Lustre chose that moment to emerge from the bathroom, her disheveled silver hair damp but already dressed in her casual attire of light blue leggings under white shorts with a short-sleeved white jacket over a light blue tank top. Her feet were still unshod, though her white heeled combat boots were sitting by her dresser.

The blue-haired girl sat up with an excited grin. She'd almost forgotten that Pip had met with the other Beacon team leaders last evening. They'd unanimously decided to forego the standard Beacon uniforms in favor of their more casual attire so as to fit in at Shade, save for the formal occasions.

It wasn't that she disliked the school uniform overmuch, it was just that it had a tendency to make her feel exposed, the black tights inadequately hiding her knobby knees and slight, boyish stature.

But her combat attire, now, that was comfortable and, best of all, concealing. Beryl jumped out of bed and eagerly grabbed hold of the dark brown baggy shirt and leggings that she wore under her armor, as well as a fresh set of underwear.

"I got next shower!" she called out merrily, leaping over the still-struggling forms of Evie and Pip, each one trying to gain the advantage in their impromptu tickle fight. "'Morning, Lustre!" she said to her partner in passing before closing the bathroom door behind her, cutting off Pip's protests.

 _Let that shower-hog be last for a change,_ she snickered softly to herself. It never took her terribly long to get ready in the mornings, just a quick wash and then towel-dry of her chin-length hair. She certainly never bothered with makeup or anything.

As she readied herself, she allowed a tight grin to grow on her face. Today was going to be a better day. If she could just get through morning class, then lunch… Her grin slipped as she shuddered briefly, thinking of a certain enthusiastic Fox Faunus that seemed intent on making her life hell. But the diminutive girl shook herself out of that line of thinking.

_No, concentrate on this afternoon. Finally, we get to fight._

The notion was relaxing to her. No social interactions, no pressure to engage in conversations. Just her and her team, engaged in combat where she was most comfortable, settled in behind her shield and in her armor, sword in hand. In her element.

Beryl giggled to herself excitedly as she slipped into her leggings. She still needed to go over the final touches of their plan for their opponents that day, Team TRQS. They'd sat together after dinner and agreed on Beryl's initial plan, all four of them eager to set it into motion. For her part, she'd lain awake much of the night thinking the fight through in her head, planning it out step by step and accounting for all the variables she could imagine. It was not as complete as she'd have liked, having never seen TRQS fight before, but the four of them could pull it off. In any case, her ponderings made for an effective diversion from her usual morose musings.

Speaking of last night…

She stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed except for her armor, while towel-drying her hair. "Hey, Pip, what time did you get in last night?"

"Wasn't too late," the lanky blonde reassured her from her spot on the floor, sprawled out comfortably. Evie was at her dresser fixing her hair while Lustre lounged on her bed, fiddling with her scroll.

"Oh, yeah, so how was Rufus?" the Cat Faunus smirked. "You have a good time?"

"Yeah, actually…" Pip had a soft smile on her face. "We really seemed to, I dunno, hit it off. He took me on a walk around the town of Vacuo, showing me around and all. Took me dancing and then I came back."

Beryl dropped her towel in shock. "You… Wait, so you didn't actually just hook up?"

The blonde got to her feet and groaned as she stretched. "Nope. So far we've just hung out. Well, I mean we've kissed, he's a seriously good kisser by the way, but yeah, that's it."

The blue-haired girl whirled to face her Faunus teammate. "I want my ten lien back."

"What?" Evie sputtered. "No way!"

"We bet on hooking up, not dating!"

"It counts!"

"Does not!"

"Does so!"

"Children," Lustre sighed over Pip's loud snickers. "Do remember we have class in a half hour."

"Crap!" the blonde squeaked as she hurled herself into the bathroom, discarded nightshirt flying over her shoulder. The sound of the water running came immediately after, covering up the repeated cursing.

Beryl planted herself in front of her raven-haired friend, her arms crossed. "Evie."

She crossed her arms as well, smiling widely down at her. "Beryl."

_Dammit, I can't argue with her when she smiles at me like that… Dammit dammit dammit…_

"Fine!" she grumped, throwing her hands up in the air as she went to retrieve her armor from the closet.

"Oh, don't be that way, sweetie," Evie chuckled. She caught the irate diminutive girl in a hug as she went past. "Of course I'll give you the lien back, fair is fair."

For a split second, Beryl almost gave in to her inclination to just melt into the hug, to hold the Cat Faunus around her trim waist and bury her face in her soft, luxurious hair and never, ever let go… But, as usual, the moment passed just as quickly, and she just smiled and gave her friend's arm a squeeze before slipping by her.

_Why do I keep torturing myself this way?_

**History Class**   
**Shade Academy**

Team PERL ended up sitting in the row behind Team TRQS where space had been made for them. They received several curious looks, but far fewer than the previous day when they wore their uniforms.

Sunny sat right in front of Beryl, bouncing happily in her seat as she kept sneaking glances over her shoulder. The one time the Fox Faunus caught her looking back, she gave her a cheery wink.

The blue-haired girl groaned softly and put her head down on her crossed arms on the desk in front of her. _She's just trying to be friendly, don't get all worked up, even if she went so far as to ask me if…_

She gulped audibly to herself as she replayed the orange-haired girl's questioning the day before. _She actually wants to… No, no, there's no way. She's gotta be just teasing me. And in any case, I'm far too hung up over someone else to even… No, why am I even going down that path? It's not gonna happen, not even an option, so just stop it!_

Still, she had to admit to herself, Sunny had a really nice smile, even if it was chipper beyond all measuring. Beryl risked a glance over at her raven-haired teammate. Seeing her smile amusedly at Sunny's antics made her heart flutter as it always did.

_It's not fair, it's just not Dust-damned fair. I know I'll never have a shot with Evie, I've known it since I fell in love with her a year ago. And now this? It is monumentally unfair to tease me like this. Don't I have enough problems?_

"Hey," a lightly accented voice spoke up softly at her ear. "Are you well?"

Beryl sat upright again, offering her partner a weak smile. "I'm fine, Lustre, really."

The silver-haired girl gave her an unconvinced look but turned back to the front of the class as the professor entered.

_Maybe I should just talk to Lustre, she's always been willing to listen, even if I've never told her about Evie. This is just too much to handle right now._

With an irritable shake of her head to clear it, the petite student observed their History professor as she took her place behind a podium. She had her steel-grey hair pulled back into ringlets that clung tightly to her scalp. Intelligent brown eyes looked out over the class, noting the presence of the newcomers as she straightened the cuffs of the light grey coat she wore over a purple blouse and darker grey slacks.

"Good morning, class," she began in a light and musical voice. "I see we have visitors today. Please give Team Pearl from Beacon a warm welcome when you can."

The professor walked around the podium, looking up at the newcomers intently. "My name is Professor Gwen Darcy, and it is a pleasure to have you in my classroom for the next few months. May I please put faces to the names I have listed on my roster?"

Pip, as the team leader, dutifully stood up and nodded briskly. "Yes, ma'am. My name is Pippin Cerise, though I go by Pip. My partner next to me is Evelyn Black, she goes by Evie. Next to her is Beryl, and then her partner Lustre Bijou. Thank you very much for hosting us here." With that she sat down, giving Rufus a wink as he looked back at her.

"You are most welcome," Professor Darcy murmured. She gave Beryl an odd look. "Do you not use your first name, Miss Beryl?"

The blue-haired girl hesitantly got to her feet. "Um, n- no, m'am. Just Beryl, ma'am." She dropped back to her chair, face flushed at the attention.

"Very well," the professor smiled warmly before turning back to her podium once more. "Today, class, since we are lucky enough to have our visitors with us, I thought we might deviate from our lesson plan. I'd like to talk about what has been referred to as the Breach of Vale."

The four teammates sat up straighter and shared grins at the very familiar topic.

"Now then," Professor Darcy continued. "Who can tell me about the events leading up to the Breach, specifically the actions of the group that was referred to as the White Fang?"

The class passed quickly enough, with both Lustre and Evie volunteering information. Pip seemed content to let them field the questioning, and for her part Beryl was just happy she didn't get called upon.

As the class bell rang, the professor called out the names of their team, requesting they stay behind. They waved to their new friends in Turquoise, promising to meet them for lunch later.

"Thank you for your participation today," Professor Darcy began, her warm brown eyes flickering over each team member. "I had a question to ask of you, but I do not want you to feel any pressure to answer me. I ask this…" She paused, her eyes becoming slightly unfocused as she seemed to stare off into her memories. "I ask this as a personal favor, but not as a professor." Her gaze focused on them again. "Is that understood?"

Pip nodded agreeably, though she shifted her weight between her feet, radiating nervousness. "Of course, ma'am."

"Very well." The professor leaned back onto the edge of her desk situated next to the podium and gave a sigh. Her shoulders seem to slump somewhat, the energy she'd exhibited earlier draining away as she suddenly looked much older. "I knew Ruby Rose. I don't know if we were ever good friends, but we were associates and comrades, especially after the Event. I also understand you four were with her when she died."

The four students had frozen at the mention of the woman who had meant so much to them, even though her touch on their lives had been all too brief.

The blonde leader cleared her throat. "Yes, ma'am, we were," she whispered hoarsely.

Professor Darcy looked up sharply at that, but relaxed as she saw the expressions on their faces. "So, she left an impression on you, then," she chuckled. "She had a habit of doing that with everyone she met." The woman let out another long sigh as she looked down at her feet. "A remarkable woman," she murmured.

"My question to you four is simply this. Did she die well?"

Evie took a step forward, tears glistening in her eyes. "She did, ma'am. She died saving my life."

"Well, then," the professor smiled, her own brown eyes watery. "There's no better death that a huntress can ask for, is there?" She straightened up and seemed to gather her energy back around her again. "Thank you all, really. If… If you feel like it, there are others here at Shade who do remember her, some of my teammates, who I'm sure would like to speak with you, but only if you so desire. Do let me know if that is the case."

Pip nodded solemnly. "Yes, ma'am, we will let you know."

Their mood was somber as they walked towards lunch. Beryl hadn't realized that she was sniffling slightly, trying to keep the tears back as she was lost again in the memories of those couple of days towards the beginning of the year. But then a warm, comforting arm was slipped around her shoulders, and she looked up, startled, into Evie's watery blue eyes.

Beryl smiled back wordlessly and wrapped her arm around Evie's waist. For once, she didn't feel tortured by the contact. She could take the comfort from it that was intended, and felt the better for it.

**Combat Class**   
**Shade Academy**

After lunch they had reported to the armory where they were assigned rocket lockers for the duration of their stay at Shade. Since they happened to have their combat class directly afterwards, their team was allowed to keep their weapons with them.

The indoor combat arena was fairly similar to the one at Beacon, though it was wider and taller but with slightly fewer benches lining the upper galley. Their team once again took a spot behind TRQS, and Beryl finally got to have a good look at their opponents' weapons.

Tara had a scoped combat rifle strapped to her back. From what she could tell, it had transformative capability, likely a spear of some sort, but if she kept it in this form then it was likely her preferred one. It didn't seem to be as powerful as Pip's or Lustre's, but certainly packed more of a punch than her own _Shashka_.

Next to her was her boyfriend, Q. Beryl grinned to herself anticipatorily as she looked his weapons over, noting that they fell into her plans perfectly. He had a kite-shaped shield slung over his back that was actually smaller than her _Dahl_ , and then at his side was a double-bladed axe that looked to have a wide opening at the end of the shaft. A shotgun perhaps? Seemed a likely bet, though it wouldn't be an issue.

Then there was Rufus, the object of Pip's current attentions at they gave each other flirtatious looks. The blue-haired girl rolled her eyes before observing the weapon he had referred to as _Claidheamh Mor_. It was a greatsword but with an extended hilt that would allow him to space his hands further apart, and also sported forward-facing quillions. Beryl nodded to herself, it was much as he'd described it, and doubted Pip would have a problem.

As she turned to view the last member of the team, her heart seemed to skip a beat. Sunny was sitting sideways so that she might gaze at her innocently, though the look in her eyes said that her thoughts were anything but innocent at that point in time. Beryl swallowed and willed her breathing to calm. _She's just another opponent, another fighter. We're in combat class, this is where I can shine, don't let her get to you…_

It was fairly obvious to the Fox Faunus that she was, indeed, getting to her, and she gave her a smirk and a wink before turning back around smugly.

_Dammit, dammit, dammit…_

Finally able to observe her weapons, Beryl looked over the twin orange-handled Kamas sheathed behind her back. By the subtle trigger mechanisms it looked like perhaps the blades might detach, which could cause problems if she were as nimble in a fight as they suspected.

With a resolute sigh, Beryl finally turned to face her expectant team. At her motion, Pip stopped with her flirting and became focused, causing Beryl to smirk inwardly. _This is gonna be a lot of fun._

With subtle hand motions, Beryl indicated the final touches on the plan, matching Sunny up with Lustre rather than Evie in order to neutralize the longer-range threat of those Kamas.

And then there was a stir in the seated students as a tall, dark-skinned man strode out in a multicolored robe over tan slacks and a crisp white shirt. _Showtime,_ she thought to herself gleefully.

"Good morning, students," he announced in a resonant baritone. "As most of you should know by now, we have a team from Beacon Academy with us today. As you might _not_ know, however, I have received a request to allow them to participate in our first match today. Is this correct, Miss Wine, Miss Cerise?"

Both Pip and Tara stood to their feet and nodded, though Pip was content to let the Shade student speak for them. "Yes, Professor Zaff, we have agreed to a bout, if you are able to fit us in."

"Well, as it happens, Team Cinnamon was originally scheduled to fight today but they are overdue from their mission. You may have your slot. Are any preparations required?"

Both of the team leaders shook their head, though Beryl's brow furrowed. Team CNMN was purported to be one of the contenders from Vacuo to participate in the Vytal Festival, and she did want to see them fight. Perhaps when they returned from their mission.

"Very well, then, please take your places."

The eight students filed down onto the arena floor, with a little good-natured ribbing between Pip and Rufus. Both Tara and Q looked to be focused, while Sunny…

The Fox Faunus was waving at her cheerfully.

Beryl let out an amused snort which she covered behind her shield as she slipped it off of her back. _Oum. I think she's starting to grow on me._

"Grimms be damned, Beryl," Rufus called out with a chuckle. "How can you even lift that gigantic shield of yours?"

"What, this little thing?" she called back cheerfully as she hefted the round shield that could easily conceal her entire body. "All the better to bash your head in with!"

This was her element, her comfort zone. On the arena floor, in combat with Grimm, she was finally able to be herself.

A warrior.

She lined up across from Q, while the others fanned out to either side. Pip and Rufus faced off as expected, though Evie stood across from Sunny and Lustre across from Tara.

"Combatants at the ready!" the headmaster called out. Q gave her a tight grin which she returned in earnest. _You're never gonna see this coming…_

"Begin!"

At that word, there was a flicker of motion across the arena. Evie blinked over to the other side of Tara and immediately engaged the long-range fighter, causing the purple-haired girl to curse viciously and twirl her rifle into a spear to keep the Cat Faunus off of her.

While she did that, a white flash sped by to cross over to the other side and slam into Sunny, bowling the slightly smaller girl over. Lustre kept pressing the attack, forcing the agile Fox Faunus to dance around with her Kamas flailing, trying to gain some distance. Lustre, using her speed semblance in short bursts, was easily able to keep up with her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Beryl noted Pip wading forward to engage Rufus. There was a clash of dust-reinforced metal as the two sword-wielders spun and weaved about, far more nimbly than their large weapons might suggest.

The blue-haired fighter kept her attention on Q as he approached, hefting his axe in his hand. "So, little Blue, guess it's you and me, huh?"

Beryl grinned. "Bring it, Q."

She twirled her sword and sent several accurate carbine shots at him. He swung his shield around, but the kite shape of it prevented it from concealing his legs, which took several hits. With a growl, the raven-haired boy surged forward to slam his shield into hers.

_Perfect._

She kept her shield moving, both intercepting the strikes from his axe and slamming into him to keep him off-balance. Her sword darted in and out, keeping him focused on her and where that pointy thing was going to jab at him next.

Once she was assured of his full attention, she gave another grin. "One!" she yelled out.

A look of momentary confusion crossed his face, only to be replaced by bewilderment as Lustre slammed into his back, sweeping his feet out from under him in a blurred color of white. "Two!" the silver-haired girl called out before darting off again to re-engage Sunny.

Beryl took a quick step back, twirling to change _Shashka_ into a carbine once more as Q fell onto his stomach. As she did so, Evie blinked in and swung her scimitar down on Q's wrist with all of her strength, causing him to lose his grip on his weapon and send it skittering to the side. "Three!" the Faunus gasped out before once again teleporting off to keep Tara occupied.

Kicking the discarded axe to the side and out of his reach, Beryl hopped up onto Q's back.

And activated her semblance.

A blue glow surrounded her as she pinned him to the floor, unmovable. Q tried to dislodge her, thrashing about unsuccessfully, but he couldn't bring his shield around to even strike at her with it.

"What the hell?" he laughed. "Seriously?"

"Sorry, Q," Beryl snickered. "You're out of the fight." She propped her carbine up against her shield and called out, "Four!"

As she did so, Evie disengaged from Tara, leaping back so that she might activate _Dao_ and send a concussive blast at her feet, knocking her off-balance. Then the Cat Faunus turned and hurtled herself at Rufus' back, causing him to increase the tempo of his defensive dance.

Beryl didn't allow Tara to regain her footing as she peppered her with accurate dust shells.

"Tara Wine is out!" she heard Professor Zaff call out.

A motion out of the corner of her eye made her crouch behind her shield just in time. A Kama blade, the steel blade die-cut in a spiderweb pattern, clanged off of her shield before being retracted back on its thin chain. "Nice try, Sunny!" she laughed merrily.

Q had discarded his shield and simply lay there with his arms folded under his head, accepting his fate. "I think we're seeing a whole new side of you today, Beryl," he snickered.

"Nah," she retorted happily. "Just the real side of me." She tracked Pip and Evie's fight, but noted that Lustre was beginning to tire from overuse of her semblance. Sunny was definitely a handful as she spun and twirled, sometimes somersaulting backwards as she lashed out with her bladed weapons.

Beryl took all of this in with only a moment's hesitation as she also glanced up at the monitor to check on the aura levels. "Pip?" she called out, checking to see how close she was to finishing off Rufus.

The blonde gave a curt nod as she spun out of the way of a wild slash. "Fish Fry!"

Beryl resisted the urge to sigh. _Why do we let her name these maneuvers, especially before meals…_ But the order had its intended effect as Evie broke off and teleported over to support Lustre. The pair of them still had a tough time pinning down the slippery Fox Faunus, though she was getting visibly desperate.

"Sunshine!" the orange-haired girl sang out towards Rufus who slashed out before spinning around to put his back towards his teammate.

"What-" Beryl murmured, but then noted Q's grunt at her feet as he buried his face in his arms. _Uh-oh._ "Shield!" she yelled out desperately as she crouched behind _Dahl_ , hoping the others could cover quickly enough.

There was a bright flash of light that cast her in a deep shadow. "So I guess we know her semblance now, huh?" she grinned as she peeked back over.

Lustre and Pip both had managed to either turn away or cover their eyes quickly enough, but Evie seemed to have fared worse. She stumbled backwards, her eyes blinking rapidly.

Sunny made as if to press the advantage over the other Faunus, but Beryl gave a little growl as she began to pepper her with gunfire. _Oh no you don't._

Distracted by the defense against her long-range harassment, Sunny didn't stand a chance at avoiding Lustre's rapid strikes from behind with her war staff.

"And Sunny Titian is out!" Zaff announced.

Lustre strode wearily over to Evie, helping to steady her and murmur encouragement to the still-stunned Faunus.

"Pip, how you doin'?" Beryl yelled. "Want support?"

"Nope!" the blonde sang out. She dropped into a crouch and spun around in a kick, causing Rufus to nimbly jump over her leg and right into the path of her backhanded slash. He was knocked backwards, stumbling to regain his balance, but couldn't bring his blade up fast enough to block the follow-up strike.

"Rufus Henna is out!" Professor Zaff walked out onto the floor of the arena, chuckling as he stopped next to Beryl and Q. "Mister Claret, you seem to be in a bit of a fix."

"Noticed that, did you, sir?" he snarked back.

"Do you concede the match to Team Pearl?"

Q sighed. "Oh yes, most definitely."

Beryl deactivated her semblance and hopped off of his back, extending a hand to help him up after sheathing _Shashka_ and slipping _Dahl_ onto her back again. "Good match," she grinned.

"Is that what that was?" Q laughed as he gripped her hand and regained his footing. "Well, at least now we know why you're here, huh?"

Beryl gave him a cheeky wink as she turned to celebrate the victory with her teammates, only to be met by a blur of orange, red, and yellow.

"Oh my Dust you guys were sooo cool!" Sunny gushed as she wrapped Beryl up in a tight hug. "That was amazing, I can't wait to see you fight in the tourney!"

The blue-haired girl opened her mouth to reply, but as Sunny pulled back she left her with a kiss on the cheek. The giggling Fox Faunus then proceeded to skip off after her team.

She stood there for an indeterminable amount of time, her mouth hanging open, until her team gathered around her.

"Seriously, Pip, did you need to make out with the guy right there on the arena floor?" Evie snarked.

"What, I was excited! Thrill of victory and all that!" the blonde replied cheekily. "I didn't hear him complaining!"

"Still, that was less decorum than we are used to…" Lustre murmured, coming to a stop as she looked her partner over. "Er, Beryl? Are you unwell?"

The three girls peered at her uncertainly. "Think she broke?" Pip whispered.

Beryl finally gave herself a shake and looked at the others ruefully. "Sorry, lost myself for a sec… So, awesome fight, huh?"

"Awesomely planned, you mean!" Pip laughed. "You were absolutely brilliant, babe. Seriously, it all went down just like clockwork. We are _so_ gonna tear it up in the tourney!"

The four friends headed off to return to the stands, chatting enthusiastically and receiving accolades from some of the students there. Team TRQS arrived shortly thereafter to congratulate them as well, cheerfully conceding to the brilliant though insane stunt that took their strongest asset out of the fight.

Beryl participated, though she withdrew slightly as the rush from combat faded. She kept shooting furtive glances at Sunny, who was chatting excitedly with anybody who would listen as to the vaunted attributes of her new friends from Beacon.

And every so often, the diminutive blue-haired girl would reach a small hand up to briefly touch a spot on her cheek where she could still feel the press of soft lips.

 **Stygian Forest,** Vacuo

The forest was silent as a grave, empty of the usual background noise one might come to expect save for the labored breathing of a pair of hunters-in-training from Team CNMN of Shade Academy.

Coby panted as he staggered to a halt, his partner Meral supporting him to keep him upright. "I can't," he wheezed. "Can't go on any further."

"Dust damn it, we have to!" the redheaded girl retorted angrily. "You want the others' sacrifice to be in vain?"

"Then you go," he groaned, sinking down onto one knee and bracing himself against a nearby scraggly tree, his sword clutched in his hand. "You're the only one who can get away."

"Dammit," Meral growled, running a hand through her damp red locks. She leaned onto her spear, which in actuality was little better than a staff since it had been sheared off at the blade, breaking any transformative capability it had. "I'm not leaving you."

He pulled out his scroll one more time to check the reception. With a despondent groan he flung it to the ground. "If you don't, you'll die."

Meral crouched at her partner's side to peer intently into his eyes. "I said, I'm not leaving you."

A howl sounded in the distance, sending tendrils of icy dread through their veins. "Shit, they picked up the scent…" Coby breathed.

"What are those Oum-damned things?" Meral asked, her eyes darting about the darkened woods. "Are they really Beowolves? I've never seen any that… that moved like that."

And then there was a rustling in the dark. From several directions, a pair of red glowing eyes seemed to form, though they were backlit by a crisscrossing pattern of white lines.

"Well, too late now anyway," Meral commented with forced indifference. She grabbed hold of Coby's arm, forcing him to his feet. He stood swaying, the blood on his wounded leg running freely downwards to pool in the dirt.

They stood back to back as more forms seemed to blink into existence as if by magic. Then several of them edged into sight, the unmistakable dark fur and immense stature of Beowolves terrifyingly changed by the glowing white veins that pulsed just under their fur.

"Hey, Meral."

"Yeah?"

"I always did love you."

Meral smirked over her shoulder. "I know you did, you idiot. Always did know. Figures you'd wait for the worst possible moment to realize it yourself."

He shook his head solemnly. "No, actually, this is the perfect moment."

"You're such an idiot."

"Yeah, but at least we'll be together, huh?" Coby smiled, reaching back with his free hand to grasp hers.

"Yeah," Meral murmured. "Suppose we will."

The stillness of the night was broken by a pair of screams which cut off suddenly, returning the forest once more to its gloomy state.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so there we have Beryl. And more Sunny shenanigans. Also some combat. Whee! And yeah, that little maneuver from Beryl is courtesy of TacoKing23, thanks for the idea!


	6. Rescue

**Volume 1**

**Shade Academy**   
**Saturday Morning**

Pip stared down at the bed in disbelief. _There's no way… There's just no possible way fortune would smile upon me so very, very sweetly…_

"Um, Pip?" Beryl asked somewhat hesitantly from where she lay in her bed. "What are you doing?"

The blonde turned with a finger held to her lips and indicated the slumbering form of her partner. The ever-so-playful Cat Faunus had been out late the night before, along with most of the rest of the combined teams PERL and TRQS, and was still sound asleep, the last one to rise for a change.

"Please… please don't, Pip," the blue-haired girl pleaded softly. "That is _so_ not a good idea…"

"I would listen to Beryl most carefully, if I were you," Lustre's quiet voice drifted from where she lay in bed, her nose buried in a book as was her usual morning routine. "This will not end well."

She paused and gave it serious consideration. Honestly she did, for all of… oh… five seconds.

And then she turned and pounced on the slumbering kitty.

Evie let out a piercing scream and flailed about, somehow simultaneously connecting with both Pip's right breast and forehead. The groaning blonde fell backwards, clutching at her wounded spots.

"Told you so," Lustre commented in a sing-song voice, causing Beryl to snicker.

The Cat Faunus stopped her sputtering as she became aware of the situation and dispassionately regarded the miserable form of her team leader, curled into a ball on the floor.

"Really?" she asked levelly.

"That was my favorite boob," Pip whined, causing the other three girls to break out into laughter at the ridiculous complaint. The blonde had to join in, though she was still cradling her breast tenderly as she sat up.

"Don't even think to ask anyone to kiss it and make it feel better," Evie snorted with a wide grin.

Lustre lifted her scroll invitingly. "However, I could contact Rufus for you to perform said care."

"Yeah, that's okay," Pip sighed as she pulled herself back to her feet. "Me and what's left of my dignity will go take a shower now."

"You do that," Evie giggled, stretching back out on her bed languidly.

 _I suppose I had that coming to me,_ the blonde thought to herself ruefully. _Bad idea to startle a kitty cat awake, as she's told me, oh, I dunno… dozens of times. At least she didn't scratch me…_

She stepped into the shower stall and leaned back to wet her hair. While working her conditioner into her long, straight tresses, she idly reflected on their first week at Shade.

 _Made some new friends, classes are pretty cool, and I got myself a really, really hot boyfriend who is_ very _nice in bed… mmm…_

She closed her eyes as she leaned back again to rinse her hair out, smiling softly at the memory of the previous evening when they'd retired to his room early.

_I could get used to this. Too bad it's only for a couple of months._

Quickly scrubbing her ropey, muscular limbs off, she frowned to herself slightly. _Do I actually want this to last longer? I mean, do I feel differently about Rufus than I have about the others?_

The answer to that was an unequivocal 'yes', though she wasn't sure what to do with that.

Her brow furrowed in thought, the blonde stepped out of the bathroom while towelling her hair off. "Hey, guys? Can I get your opinion on something?"

"Can it wait til you have some clothes on?" Beryl retorted, glancing up from the textbook balanced on her crossed legs.

"Seriously, I need to ask you something important." Pip sat herself on the edge of Evie's bunk and wrapped her hair towel around herself in deference to Beryl's modesty.

Evie sat up as well, curling her legs under her and her tail around her waist. "You know you can, sweetie. What's up?"

The blonde took a deep breath. "I… I'm actually thinking of, I dunno… Okay, look, I feel differently about Rufus. I mean, differently than I did with the others."

She glanced up to note all of her teammates were giving her their full attention. "But it's only for a couple of months," she finished lamely. "And… I'm not sure what to do about it. Should I let myself get this close to him if I just have to leave?"

"Getting a bit ahead of yourself there," Evie chuckled. "Okay, so answer me this. Hypothetically."

Pip nodded eagerly. "Right, hypothetically."

"If you were not returning to Beacon, do you see yourself being with him for a long time?"

"Yes," the blonde answered definitively.

"Longer than three months?" Lustre added perceptively.

She snorted softly. _Trust Lustre to remember the length of my longest relationship so far._ "Yes."

"Well, then…" Evie shrugged. "Make it work."

"Make it… That's your advice? How in Oum's name am I supposed to just make it work?"

"Long distance relationship?" Beryl suggested hesitantly.

"Right," Evie nodded. "Look, where do you usually go on your breaks?"

"Um, nowhere," the orphaned girl admitted sheepishly. "You know I usually just hang out in Vale and visit with you guys."

"So, now instead of hanging out in Vale, you go hang out in Vacuo."

She blinked her eyes uncertainly. _Could it be that easy?_

"I'm not even sure if he feels the same way," Pip murmured uncertainly.

Evie reached over with her tail and flicked her on the nose. "Then talk to him, dork."

"But it's only been a week!"

"If _you_ know after only a week, _he_ might as well."

"Follow your heart," Beryl said solemnly.

Pip glanced over at the blue-haired girl with a grin. "Speaking of which… I've noticed you're getting more comfortable around Sunny. You didn't even flee in terror last night when she sat next to you on the couch."

"Ha ha," her petite teammate deadpanned. "Yeah, we're… becoming friends, I think. It's just…" Beryl sighed despondently. "I know she wants more, but I don't think I can give that to her."

"Why not, sweetie?" Evie asked gently. "You like girls. She seems nice."

Pip glanced between the two of them, from Beryl's fiery blush to Evie's slightly pained expression. _Well, this is becoming more complicated now, isn't it…_

"There's no need to feel pressured or rushed or anything of the like," Pip assured the blue-haired girl. "Just enjoy the friendship, and let what will happen, happen."

"Yeah," Beryl nodded, fiddling with her hands in her lap while staring at them intently. "Sure, thanks guys."

The blonde grinned as she rose from her perch and dropped the towel to the floor. "Aww, you just need a hug, babe, c'mere…"

"Ack, Pip, you're naked! Get away, get away, get away!"

**Vacuo Outer Walls**   
**Saturday Afternoon**

"So, let me get this straight," Evie commented nonchalantly.

"Mmhmm," Pip replied with a sigh, knowing what was coming.

"Our first official mission while in Shade, being Vytal Tournament entrants and all, and the best they could find for us was… this?"

The blonde team leader glanced around at the laborers. Wall repair guard duty was, at best, unglamorous work. Few Grimm would approach a major metropolitan area due to the heavy sentient presence, save for perhaps the very new, dumb ones, but the workers still needed guarded.

Perfect busy work to foist upon first-year students, but not the likes of Team PERL, honestly.

"Look, we went over this," Pip replied, pushing her irritation down. "The walls in Vacuo erode faster because of the sand, so there's lots of stretches that need guarded. We just happened to get a slot. Don't complain, at least we're doing something to help."

"While standing out in the sun, baking in our armor and sweating profusely," Beryl grumbled quietly.

"And they're going to be breaking for lunch soon so we can get into the shade." Pip glanced over at Lustre to see if she had anything to add, but the silver-haired girl merely looked discomforted by the heat and not about to voice any complaints.

"Okay," Pip sighed after a few moments. "What do you think Ruby would have said?"

That made the pair cease their grousing. "I suppose…" Beryl murmured. "She would say any effort by a huntress to protect people is worth the effort."

"Betcha she'd still complain about it, though," Evie snarked quietly.

Pip rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop griping. You sound like an old woman."

"What?" the Cat Faunus sputtered. "You take that back!"

"Should I have brought a rocking chair out for you, made you more comfy?"

"Them's fighting words, blondie!"

"Well, good thing you're too old and creaky for me to worry about, kitty cat."

"Seriously, I'm gonna-"

"Hey, hold up," Beryl interjected as she stared out over the wall, into the city, her bronze eyes shining in the sunlight. "We got company."

A Bulldog was coming in, fast, from the direction of the small pad next to Shade Academy. The Team gathered close to watch its approach curiously.

The small air transport made a quick landing near where the team stood, and the side door opened to reveal Professor Darcy. "Miss Cerise, we have need of you and your team," she called out briskly. "Please board."

Pip nodded as they began to jog forward. "What about the work crew here?"

"They're being recalled as we speak," the woman replied. She was dressed differently than her usual teaching attire, a black corset dress with a dark gray front, purple hem and purple laces on the back. She wore a purple sash ribbon as a belt, and from it hung a pair of armored tassets that were adorned with multiple throwing knives.

"Yesss," Evie hissed eagerly. "Finally, some action!"

The Bulldog took to the air as soon as they were aboard. Beryl staggered slightly, having to reach up higher to grab hold of the restraints hanging from the ceiling. Lustre stepped up to her partner to steady her, who awarded her with a grateful smile.

"So what's the situation, Professor?" Pip asked, clinging tenaciously to her hand hold as the Bulldog banked violently.

"There's a team in the field that got cut off," the grey-haired huntress replied distractedly as she checked her knives. "I was the only hunter on hand, but I remembered seeing your team as being close by. I could use the help."

"Absolutely," Evie grinned. "More than happy to help!"

Professor Darcy nodded as she glanced around at the team. "I heard of your sparring earlier this week, the retelling of it was suitably impressive. Also…" She looked out the window pensively. "Well, you should know, the team in trouble are friends of yours as I understand it. Team Turquoise."

All hints of playful excitement left the four girls immediately. "Any word of casualties?" Pip asked quickly.

"From what I understand, the team leader, Miss Wine, suffered an injury to her leg which has hindered their efforts at retrieval."

"Okay," Beryl nodded firmly. "Do you have a plan in mind, ma'am?"

Darcy looked over at the smaller girl with the hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Yes, you'll be dropped off at the near edge of the surrounding Grimm while I head for the far edge. We make some noise, cause enough of a distraction to ease the pressure on Turquoise and take as many of them out as we can."

"A distraction?" Pip grinned once more. "Oh, that much we can do, ma'am. We're made for causing a ruckus."

With that, they were already at their drop-off point, mostly sand and scrub undergrowth but with several large rock outcroppings littering the landscape. All four girls stepped out of the hovering Bulldog without further ado, having been given the direction of the beleaguered Team TRQS. The howls of Beowolves sounded nearby.

"Okay, guys, let's act like we were trained for this!" Pip declared as she slipped her beloved _Odachi Dahlia_ from off of her back.

Evie sighed. "We really need a better rally cry."

"Try not to get eaten?" Beryl proposed with a grin, hefting her shield eagerly.

"Or how about, try not to die?" Lustre quipped with unusual humor.

Pip shook her head resignedly. "Comedians, the lot of you. Let's just go kick some ass, alright?"

"I can get behind that one," Evie laughed cheerfully.

The four of them headed forward resolutely. They came across their first Grimm immediately, a towering Death Stalker who quickly noted the new intruders. The lack of clinging moss was an easy indicator that this wasn't the same type of monster they were used to from Vale.

Pincers clacking eagerly, it surged forward.

"Lasso!" Beryl called out, planting herself firmly in the path of the advancing Grimm and activating her semblance.

Pip sprinted around to the right-hand side, knowing that Lustre would be on the left and Evie, using her semblance, should be in place to hit the beast's rear.

The team made quick work of the Death Stalker. Pip's heated strikes gouged deeply into its armor, wounding it badly. It turned to face its tormenter, golden stinger descending. The blonde leapt to the side nimbly, her ropey muscles contracting as she spun in mid-air to slice through the Grimm's tail.

A few more hits from the others and it collapsed to the ground with a wheeze.

Pip took quick inventory of her team before nodding. "Right, keep pushing on, but stick close together!"

They surged ahead, cresting another rocky incline to gaze out upon a rather nightmarish scene.

Team TRQS was clearly visible ahead among the tall rocks jutting out from the sand, surrounded by a surging mass of Beowolves, Creeps, and a few Ursa thrown in for good measure.

"Well, this certainly looks horrible," Pip quipped. She glanced aside at her partner. "Evie, babe, why don't you announce our presence, hmm?"

"It'd be my pleasure, oh fearless leader," Evie snarked back. She flicked a switch on her scimitar before stepping forward, sweeping _Dao_ out in front of her and sending a blast of fire into the ranks of Grimm.

The surging landscape seemed to pause as if offended by the intrusion.

Pip hoisted _Odachi Dahlia_ over her head, making it glow white-hot. "Come get some, bitches!" she roared.

"Hey, I like that rally cry, can we keep it?" Beryl snarked, twirling _Shashka_ in her hands before sending dust-enhanced rounds into the ranks of Grimm.

"Bring it up at the next team meeting," Pip replied, wading forward to meet an advancing Ursa. She swept upwards with her blade, cleaving it in two.

"I do not ever recall having an official team meeting," Lustre complained, standing by her partner and using _Winter Contus_ as a rifle.

Evie was at Pip's side, blasting into a small pack of Beowolves with an application of green dust. "Sure we have, they just usually degrade into other subjects."

"Like Pip's love life?" Evie snickered, slicing through a Creep's neck and smoothly pivoting to block the strike from another Beowolf.

"What is this, pick on Pip day?" the blonde retorted humorously. She eyed a trio of Ursae barrelling forward, knocking aside the smaller Grimm like Creeps or Beowolves. "Hey, let's do a Blueberry!"

"What?" Evie squawked. "Blueberry? I don't even remember that one, am I supposed to be doing something with Beryl?"

"No, not you, Beryl and Lustre!" Pip shouted back as she dodged the incoming Ursa. She swiped at its flank, tearing a lethal wound that quickly dropped it. "Shield and staff? Not ringing a bell?"

"Why do you even use these stupid names that have nothing to do with the maneuver?" Evie yelled, jumping up on the back of another Ursa that came roaring past. She viciously swung her scimitar at the back of its neck, adding a small burst of white dust to slice its head off. "Seriously, Blueberry?"

"It's a good name!" Pip argued defensively, skewering a Creep that had tried to charge her. "Beryl likes the names I use!"

Another pair of Creeps ran towards her only to have their heads disintegrate from carbine shots. "No, really, I don't," Beryl retorted. "You just don't listen to me."

"Guys, c'mon," Pip pleaded. She spun, slicing out the legs of the last Ursa who had reared up, then planting it into its chest as it fell backwards, ripping through its black heart. "There's a reason for using them!"

"Do tell," Lustre prompted, having changed _Winter Contus_ back into a war staff now that the Grimm were fully engaged with the team. She whirled about, a blur of white clothes and dark skin as she bashed in the heads of a pair of menacing Beowolves. "I would greatly like to know," she finished, panting slightly.

"Look, if we use code names for our maneuvers… hang on a sec…" Pip took a running leap at an advancing Death Stalker, smaller than the one they'd previously faced. She leapt, coming down with her sword glowing hot to bisect its head, and then somersaulted backwards again.

"Anyway, if our code names are too obvious, then other teams in the arena can tell what they are!" she finished, swinging her sword to the side to flick the black gore off of it.

"That doesn't help us if we can't remember what they are either!" Evie retorted, sending another wall of flame outwards to burn a mixed pack of Beowolves and Creeps to ash.

"And we're not in an arena right now!" Beryl added. She was now wading into the fight as well, though she alternated between carbine and longsword. "We don't need to be discreet around Grimm!"

"But we use the same maneuvers sometimes!" Pip argued back. "Here, Leapfrog, you remember that one, right?"

"Yes, Pip," Beryl sighed, turning to crouch with her shield raised over her head. Pip took a running jump onto the shield, and Beryl thrust upwards to give her a boost over the heads of a wall of Grimm. Pip landed in the center of them, spinning in a circle to decapitate or eviscerate the entire group.

"See, that wasn't so bad!" Pip hollered, charging at the back of another Ursa and spearing it before it could reach her team. She leapt over its corpse, kicking a Creep to the ground where she quickly dispatched it.

"Okay, listen Pip," Evie stated seriously. She paused to throw a concussive blast in a wide arc, bowling over all of the approaching Grimm to give them a little breathing room. "All we're saying is that we could use discreet terms that still have something to do with us to make them easier to remember."

"Oh." The blonde considered her words as she cooled her sword off, quickly turning it into her sniper rifle to begin picking off the discombobulated Grimm lying about. "Well, yeah, that sounds fair. Before or after the tourney?"

"Before," her three teammates replied in unison.

"Alright then!" Pip replied cheerfully, sending a few rounds into an Ursa that was trying to regain its feet. "See, I can be reasonable! Good team meeting, everyone!"

"This is why I do not recall having team meetings," Lustre sighed, twirling her staff into a rifle as well and adding to Pip and Beryl's volume. "We never do them in normal locations."

The ranks of Grimm began to thin as the four huntresses-in-training steadily moved forward towards their entrenched friends. Finally they started coming across disintegrating corpses that had throwing knives impaling them.

"Oh, hey, looks like we're getting closer to the Professor!" Pip called out to the others, casually lopping off the head of a Beowolf who was a bit too slow.

"Pip, that you?" a familiar voice shouted from up ahead, concealed by terrain and Grimm still.

"Rufus!" the blonde cheered with a grin. "How's it going, babe?"

"Oh, you know," he snarked back. "Resolutely facing down death and dismemberment. The usual."

Evie snickered. "Yeah, he's a good match for you alright, got your sense of humor."

Pip grinned at her before replying again. "Didn't lose anything important, did you?"

"Nope, still fully functional darlin'!"

"Good, 'cause I got plans for that tight butt of yours when we get back!"

"Oum, Pip," Beryl moaned.

Finally they were able to defeat the remaining Grimm in between them and their objective. The battlefield seemed to settle into an eerie silence as the team looked about for more opponents.

"Huh, I guess we finally got 'em all," Evie mused.

"Looks like," Pip laughed, sheathing her sword on her back. "Now, let's go find Turquoise, I got me a man to give lovin' to."

"I forget how horney you can get after a fight," the Cat Faunus snickered as they rounded a rocky outcropping.

"Yep, just something about a good workout that gets me… all… um…"

The blonde paused as they came across their friends. Professor Darcy was standing there as well, her arms crossed and an eyebrow quirked. Rufus looked rather mortified, while Sunny was rolling on the ground, mirthful tears leaking from her eyes. Q was crouched at Tara's side where she lay on the ground, but both of them were quietly snickering as well.

"Do tell, Miss Cerise," the professor prompted.

The blonde knew she was blushing furiously, and the giggles coming from her own teammates didn't help any. "Er, that is… gets me in the mood to see my friends! And to be happy that they're all okay," she finished, sheepishly touching the tips of her forefingers together.

"Laaame," Evie snickered softly.

"Shut it, you," Pip murmured out of the corner of her mouth.

"Well, in any case, thank you for your assistance," Professor Darcy commented wryly. "Very nice job out there, I do believe your team accounted for easily half of the Grimm in the area."

Tara let out a pained grunt as Q tightened a bandage around her thigh, her dark purple pants torn and bloodstained. "Yeah, seriously guys, thanks for coming for us."

Pip gave her a jaunty wink. "Aww, we would be here even if we didn't know it was you guys. Being the big heros for our friends is just the icing on the cake."

Sunny had finally gotten herself back off of the ground and launched herself forward and into Beryl's arms. "You guys were sooo cool to rescue us! I bet you tore those Grimm up, didn't you?"

Beryl laughed sheepishly even as she returned the hug in her awkward fashion. "Sunny, I'm covered in ick."

"Oh, so am I, big deal."

As Professor Darcy stepped aside to recall the transport, Pip finally stepped over to Rufus. "Hey, you," she smiled.

"Does this make me the damsel in distress?" the tall boy asked with a lopsided grin. Several long strands of his russet hair had escaped from the tie at the back of his neck and were drifting about his face.

The blonde stepped forward, reaching up to tuck a few hairs behind his ear and feeling unusually timorous. "Not to me," she whispered.

He leaned down and pressed a slow, sweet kiss onto her lips. The blonde involuntarily melted into his embrace, her body desiring any contact it could with his lean, muscular form.

The clearing of a throat made her jump back, slightly startled. "Transport will be here in five minutes," Professor Darcy stated with a knowing smile.

"Uh, great… th- thanks, ma'am," Pip stammered in reply. _What is it about this boy that turns me into a love-sick fool like that? Oum, I can't seem to get enough of him…_

By the smoldering look in his warm brown eyes, Rufus was likely thinking the same.

"Sunny!" she heard her blue-haired teammate exclaim. "You're bleeding!"

"Oh it's just a scratch, really…"

"No, it could get infected. Come sit here, I'll bandage you before our ride comes."

Pip glanced over to see Beryl, her brow furrowed in concentration, bent over Sunny's right arm as she sat on a small boulder. The Fox Faunus was grinning widely at the attention she was getting.

"How long do you give them?" the blonde murmured to her boyfriend.

"Hmm." Rufus mused. "One week."

"Pfft, you don't Beryl like I do. Eight weeks."

"Seriously?" Rufus laughed lightly.

"And you don't know Sunny like we do," Tara spoke up quietly as Q helped her to her feet. "She's persistent. Four weeks."

"Five," Q opined in his sonorous voice.

Lustre sidled up to the group, her attention directed towards the perimeter. "I shall take seven."

Pip snickered softly and glanced over at her partner. "Evie, you want in?"

The Cat Faunus had an odd look on her face as she watched Sunny and Beryl interact. "No," she said shortly, but then shook her head. "That is, yes, but mine is never."

"Never?" the blonde queried. "So you don't think they'll get together at all?"

Evie shook her head once more, her raven-colored ponytailed tresses swaying behind her.

"Okay, ten lien?"

Pip's offer was met by a chorus of solemn nods.

"One more thing," she stated. "Rules are, neither of them gets to know about the bet or for how long you picked, got it?"

"Got it," Tara grinned. "Anything else goes?"

"Well, so long as they don't get hurt," Pip amended thoughtfully.

"I don't think it's right to cheat here," Evie murmured distractedly. "So let's take that off the table, please."

The blonde eyed her partner in concern. "Yeah, okay Evie, if you feel strongly about it…"

"Acceptable," Lustre promptly interjected, also watching the Cat Faunus closely.

"Yeah, sure, we'll just let it fall as it may," Tara chuckled. "No interference." Both Q and Rufus nodded in agreement.

The whine of approaching engines signaled the arrival of their ride back to Shade. Beryl had finished up tending to the Fox Faunus and quickly packed her first aid kit away again into the pouch opposite from her sheathed sword. The eight students and one full-fledged huntress boarded the craft which promptly took off again.

Pip stood next to Rufus, their hands clasped behind their backs unobtrusively, and observed the others. Tara and Q sat side-by-side on the rear bench, as did Sunny and Beryl, interestingly enough. The petite blue-haired girl didn't seem to flinch away from the excitable Faunus' antics as she described their fight, her jewel-colored bracelets flashing in the light that was filtering in through the window as her arms flailed about. In fact, Beryl seemed to be smiling every so often.

_Well, stranger things have happened. I don't want to push her into this, but I think it'd be good for her, if nothing else to get her mind off of Evie, since that's a lost cause right there._

Her partner in question had her back to them, and so the blonde was unable to see the discontented look on the Cat Faunus' face as she stared out the window, her eyes unfocused on the scenery flashing by outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, more action! The team may have unconventional meetings, but they work for them.
> 
> I'm going to skip ahead as we go, not day by day, so some of their character development might come out either in their actions, conversations, or by description. After a week here, Pip and Rufus have gotten quite a bit serious, while Sunny seems to be breaking down Beryl's reservations. Only time will tell how things proceed… In any case, I have only one or two more chapters before we get into the Vytal Festival itself. Next chapter we'll delve back into Beryl's perspective.


	7. Blue

**Volume 1**

**Shade Academy**   
**Thursday Afternoon**

Beryl sat on the edge of her bed with her head in her hands. She'd finally had it. There was simply no way she could continue like this, her incoherent thoughts and persistent troubles were beginning to affect her grades as well as her performance with the team. Pip, of course, had noticed the latter, quietly taking her aside after last night's practice to ask what was bugging her.

_I just couldn't tell her, I almost did, but as usual my brain just locks up whenever I might ask for help… It's insane to think anyone could help me with this anyway, or at least have any sympathy for me…_

She'd fallen head-over-heels for Evie, the Cat Faunus who seemed to make everything brighter around her. Beryl knew it was an exquisite form of torture to endure the raven-haired girl's playful hugs, cuddles, and other physical affections, but that was just who she was, a loving kitty cat in the privacy of their dorm room. And she knew damn well that she'd never have even a hope of having her affections returned. So far as she knew, her teammate had rejected any sort of romance while she was at Beacon. And Beryl could respect that, really she could.

But she couldn't keep away from her.

Even the slightest touch from the lithe girl would send a happy thrill coursing through her, though she'd worked long and hard to suppress any such reactions. She knew she could play off any discomfort as mere shyness, so long as she didn't give away her true feelings or show Evie just how much her touch affected the petite girl. And that was a monumental task in itself, to be able to deceive a Faunus in such a manner.

And in any case, it wasn't like Beryl was that great a catch. Who'd ever notice someone like her in such a way, with her timid mannerisms, social anxiety, boyish stature… Certainly not anyone like Evie, the girl was so far above her league it made her completely unattainable.

And yet…

Beryl groaned slightly as she dug her fingers into her blue hair, gripping tightly. _What do I do about Sunny?_

The Fox Faunus had, for some reason, been immediately attracted to her. At first she thought perhaps she was the object of ridicule, but as she got to know the excitable girl she came to realize that Sunny simply wore her emotions right out there on her sleeve. She made no pretenses or apologies for how she felt or what she wanted, and for some reason she wanted Beryl.

_So, we're friends now, at least I think so, and she's fun to be around… I'm more comfortable with her… But could I feel that way about her? Should I? What about Evie, does that just trivialize my feelings for her that I've had for over a year now?_

Dimly she registered the sound of a book closing from above her. Beryl froze, having momentarily forgotten that her partner was in the room, since both Evie and Pip were out and about before their afternoon class.

"Beryl," a soft, musical voice chimed. "Please talk to me."

She looked up and into a set of caring eyes the color of pale diamonds. Lustre was hanging upside down from her bed, her silver hair hanging down.

Beryl couldn't hold back a snicker. "That's a new look for you. I like it."

"Mmm," she replied before completing a somersault down and landing nimbly in a crouch at Beryl's feet. "Perhaps I should spike it up, then."

"It'd be different."

Lustre reached forward and took her hands into her own. "I know this has been bothering you more and more," she murmured intently. "I cannot allow this to fester inside you any longer. You must talk about it, please."

The blue-haired girl closed her eyes wearily. "But it's so stupid," she sighed, barely audible.

"It bothers you, therefore it is not stupid." Lustre gave her hands a little squeeze. "I… I know you harbor feelings for Evie."

Beryl's eyes shot open at that. "What?" she whispered incredulously. _There's no way I just heard her say that…_

The silver-haired girl looked down at their intertwined hands and smiled softly. "I have known for some time, but I respected your privacy. If it helps, I am almost certain Evie does not suspect."

She let out a quick sigh of relief. _Well, there's that, anyway._ "It's not just that, though…" Beryl gripped Lustre's hands, almost desperately. "I just… I don't know what to do about… about…"

"About Sunny?"

Beryl nodded her head rapidly. Now that she was finally getting this out, purging from her what had been festering for all this time, she could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She closed them but couldn't keep the wetness from rolling down her cheeks.

"I don't know what to do," she wailed quietly.

Lustre released her hands to lean over and engulf her in a warm hug. She knew she was acting like an idiot, but Beryl just couldn't help herself as she finally broke down, her small frame wracked with sobs.

Her partner held her tightly, rubbing her back while she did so. "I am not certain that I am the correct person to give you advice," Lustre murmured into her ear. "But I am here for you now, just as I have always been."

"I know," she sniffled. "Thanks Lustre… I love you, you know?"

"And I love you too, little Beryl. I have always wanted sisters, and I feel blessed beyond all imagining to have the three of you in my life." The silver-haired girl leaned back slightly, wiping Beryl's cheeks with the hem of her jacket. "It does distress me to see one of you upset like this."

She sighed disconsolately, her breath hitching slightly. "I don't know what anyone can do," Beryl mumbled. "It's an impossible situation."

"Nothing is impossible," Lustre disagreed. "As I said, I am not the correct person to give advice, however I do believe Pip could help you."

"I… I don't think I could, you know… tell her about Evie," Beryl replied quietly. "She's her partner and all…"

Lustre cleared her throat slightly. "Well, the fact of the matter is… Pip knows as well."

Beryl blinked her eyes. "Well… yeah, of course. Why not."

"I assure you, though, Evie is still oblivious."

"Thank Oum for small favors, I'd have to just crawl in a hole and die at that point."

"Do not be like that," Lustre chided gently. "Just talk to her. Please?"

Beryl nodded as she stared at her hands. Her mind was oddly blank and felt disconnected from her body now that she'd let out some of her anguish.

Just then they heard the door to their room unlock allowing the other pair of partners to walk into their room.

"...And I'm just sayin', if you talk to them, they might include us!" Evie was heatedly stating, her head turned towards the blonde behind her.

"Alright, I'll send Tara a message, maybe Professor Darcy as well? She seems to have a high regard for us… Oh, hey guys, um… You okay there, Beryl?"

Beryl looked up at the pair. Both were regarding her in concern, and she was sure she looked like a mess right now. _Some girls can pull off the pretty look after they've cried, but I sure ain't one of them._

"Later," she said, scrubbing her cheeks with her hands. "What's going on?"

Evie walked over to sit next to her, wrapping a comforting arm around her while Lustre sat back on her heels. The silver-haired girl flickered a sympathetic glance at Beryl, who acknowledged it with a nod.

Pip pulled one of the chairs over and sat down on it backwards, her arms draped over the back. "Well, you remember that one team, CNMN, that was supposed to be in the tourney? They've up and disappeared. From what the rumor mill, namely Rufus, tells me, it was being looked into discreetly, but now another team has gone missing, this one made up of fourth-years." She turned to Evie with an eyebrow quirked. "What was their name?"

"TSTL, I think?" Evie spelled out. "Thistle?"

"That sounds about right. Anyways, they're cancelling classes this afternoon to send search parties out, but they don't intend on asking the visiting teams for help. So," she pulled out her scroll. "I'm gonna make some inquiries, get us out there to help."

"Good," Beryl replied absently. "Um, so if we're just waiting to hear back…"

She glanced at Lustre, who gave her an encouraging smile in return.

Beryl cleared her throat. "Um, Pip… can we… go for a walk?"

The blonde looked up from her scroll, a quick smile forming on her face. "Sure thing, babe. C'mon, let's go talk." She stood up and wagged the scroll in her hand. "I'll get these messages off, you guys relax until we hear back, okay?"

Lustre nodded solemnly, and Evie gave Beryl a gentle squeeze before she got up to walk over to her bunk. "Yep, I'll just take a nap."

"You mean a cat nap?" Pip snickered.

Evie rolled her eyes humorously. "You aren't nearly as funny as you think you are."

"Sure I am. Later, guys."

Beryl walked quietly next to Pip as she sent her messages off. They'd gotten out of their dorm and began meandering through the warrens that wound along the base of the massive wall surrounding Shade when she finally closed her scroll and tucked it away.

"Okay, I'm all yours. What did you want to talk about?"

With her arms wrapped around her middle, just below the chest piece of her armor, Beryl sighed and kept her gaze on the ground. "So… you know about my feelings for… um… Evie. Right?"

"Yeah, I do," Pip replied quietly. She moved a little closer and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Lustre said I should talk to you about, well… Her. And Sunny. And me. And…" Beryl shook her head morosely. "I just don't know what to do," she whispered.

"Alright," Pip began firmly, all traces of snark or teasing gone from her voice. Beryl had always referred to it as 'Big Sister Mode', and she smiled slightly to hear her team leader take on that tone of voice. "So then, let's talk this through. Here, come sit."

She indicated one of the small gardens that dotted the pathways. It had a bench in a secluded corner, and the babbling fountain would conceal their conversation from any passersby.

They sat on the bench but Pip kept her arm wrapped around Beryl's shoulders, tucking her into her lanky side. Beryl had to shift slightly so that their armors wouldn't poke one another.

"So you've been pining for Evie for some time now," Pip began softly. "And now this new girl shows up and expresses interest in you. Do you think you might be interested in Sunny?"

"I don't know," Beryl murmured. "I mean, yeah she's really nice, if a bit excitable and loud, but… yeah, I mean, she's really sweet. I don't think I could be anything more than friends with her, though, not with how I feel about Evie, that's not going away…"

"Alright, we're gonna play the hypothetical game again."

Beryl smiled. "Right. So, hypothetically."

"Hypothetically," Pip agreed. "Let's just say Evie wasn't in the picture. I know," she held a hand up against Beryl's unvoiced protest, "that's a hard thing to imagine. Try for a second, though, okay? If it was just you and Sunny, would you consider dating her?"

Beryl chewed on her lip as she considered that. _Can I even separate out my feelings for Evie? She's the only person I've ever felt anything for, I don't even know how to… to identify how I feel for Sunny…_

"I don't know," she finally whispered miserably. "I'm sorry, I just don't."

"Hmm," Pip sighed. "Well then, let's try this. You're physically attracted to Evie, right?"

"Yes, definitely."

"Can you imagine yourself kissing her?"

"Um." Beryl blushed brightly. "Yes," she squeaked.

Pip laughed softly. "Alright, then can you imagine doing… other things with her?"

Beryl covered her face with both hands and just nodded rapidly.

"Okay, okay," the blonde chuckled. "Good. So, now think about Sunny. Can you imagine yourself kissing her?"

Beryl brought her hands down and furrowed her brow. _Kissing… Sunny?_ She thought about the warm hugs that the jubilant Fox Faunus would give her whenever she saw her, and then the few times she'd given Beryl a simple kiss on the cheek… and the softness of her lips on her cheek.

"Yeah," she murmured wonderingly. "Um, yeah, I could."

"How about… other things?"

Beryl shrugged uncomfortably. "I dunno, that's more of a stretch."

"Do you find her physically attractive?"

"Yeah, I suppose I do…"

"Okay then!" Pip announced as if they'd just made significant progress. Beryl eyed her team leader warily as she didn't think they'd done anything of the sort. "So, the main obstacle for you is guilt," the blonde finished.

"Guilt?"

"Yep, guilt."

"I'm… not following you."

"Beryl, babe, you won't let yourself even entertain the notion of a relationship with Sunny because you feel guilty about your feelings for Evie. It'd be disrespectful to her, right?"

"Um…" She pondered this new bit briefly. "Yeah, okay, I can see that. Yes, it would feel disrespectful."

"But why? It's not like she's shown any interest, right? Stop thinking of it as just Evie. You have two girls you're interested in. One would most likely not return the interest, while the other has already let you know she's more than willing to reciprocate."

Beryl chewed on her lip again. _Could it be that easy?_

The blonde girl turned slightly so that she could look into Beryl's eyes. Pip's light coral irises were filled with unconditional support and love. "Look, Beryl… She's my partner, and I know her, I've talked to her about this kinda thing before. She's just not interested in any kind of relationship while at Beacon, once she's out she might look but in that case it's for a mate."

"Oh," Beryl sighed, feeling slightly deflated. She'd pretty much suspected that was the case, but to have it finally laid out like that for her…

"I'm not gonna discourage you from talking to Evie about your feelings, I think the four of us have a strong enough bond that admitting it to her wouldn't cause problems. But I'm pretty certain she's not gonna reciprocate. Sunny, on the other hand…"

"Yeah," Beryl nodded slowly. "Sunny's come right out and said she likes me."

"So, the choice is yours. Wait around for Evie if you like, or maybe take a chance on Sunny. Or neither, you know. Nothing says you have to dive into anything." Pip peered into her eyes probingly. "Are you… maybe curious about the, um… 'more'?"

"I… Yeah, yeah I'm curious about, er… sex," she replied, wincing as her voice once again squeaked on the last word.

Pip shrugged genially. "Well then, here's your chance."

Beryl sighed and leaned into her friend, resting her forehead on Pip's chestplate just above her emblem. "You make it sound so easy." She traced the outline of the triple concentric flames with a finger.

"It's not, really it isn't. But it isn't anything to tie yourself up into knots over either, right?" Pip placed her hand on Beryl's head, stroking her blue hair back gently.

"No, it's not, really…"

Just then Pip's scroll beeped to indicate an incoming message. Beryl sat up as her leader pulled it out, grinning as she read it. "Yes! Professor Darcy came through, we're in! C'mon, babe, we gotta grab the others, gear up and head for the landing pad!"

As the pair of them jogged along back to their dorm, Beryl smiled over at her friend. "Thanks for the talk, Pip."

"Anytime, Beryl. Anytime."

**Vacuo Wilderness**

Team PERL had been given an outlying quadrant to search. The missing Team TSTL wasn't supposed to have wandered this far outside of their mission area, but they were there to cover as much of the area as possible.

"It's awfully quiet around here," Evie murmured, looking about warily. The area was full of rocky formations, scraggly brush, and more than a few trees that somehow managed to survive in the sandy soil.

"Yeah, almost like the wildlife got chased off," Pip murmured back, her sword in hand.

The path they were walking along was long and meandering, but it traversed much of the area they were assigned. There was still a good amount of light left in the day for their search, so they were hopeful to at least cover their quadrant before the sun set.

"Wait," Lustre hissed, crouched by the side of the trail. The others paused, fanning out to cover their teammate as she examined a scrap of cloth.

"Did one of the team members of Thistle wear purple?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, a couple of them did," Pip replied.

"I cannot tell how old this is, but it might be from one of their outfits."

"Does it lead away, like off of the path?"

Lustre shook her head. "There is no way to tell. I do not believe so, however."

The lanky blonde nodded. "Well then, let's keep going."

Beryl trailed behind, her head on a swivel as she searched the environment for threats. Her thoughts ran along with Evie's, it was far too quiet for her tastes.

And then, off to the side, she spotted something completely out of the ordinary.

"Pip!" she called out softly.

The others halted as Beryl pointed with her sword off to the left-hand side. "Am I the only one who sees that?"

Pip stood next to her and blinked her coral eyes uncertainly. "Is that… a warehouse? Out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Maybe it's a settlement?" Evie opined dubiously. "Or an abandoned one?"

Pip sighed. "Well, we need to check it out, but we should also continue along here, that scrap Lustre found looked promising… Okay, let's split up, me and Beryl will take the building. You two continue on, keep your scrolls out and contact us if you run into any trouble. Got reception?"

Evie glanced at her scroll and nodded. "Weak, but should be enough."

The four of them parted ways, slinking off as silently as they could towards their objectives.

Beryl had always thought it interesting that Pip would split the partners up when she would need to divide the team. The four of them were familiar enough with each other's fighting styles that it never caused a problem, but in truth these pairings oftentimes complemented each other better. Evie and Lustre both used fast movement and rapid attacks to overwhelm an opponent or to escape, while Beryl's defensive style meshed well with Pip's heavy-handed offense.

She hefted her large round shield in her hand, relishing the feel of _Dahl_. She had a bond with her shield in that it interacted with her semblance, but more than that it reflected on how she thought of herself, as a protector. Along with her sword _Shashka_ she had vowed to do whatever it took to protect the innocent, but more importantly, her team that was more like a family for her.

It was with that in mind that she kept a very careful eye on her leader's back and the surrounding environment, checking for likely ambush spots or any sort of movement.

After a short while they came upon the large building. It was built out of stone, three stories high and with a stone roof as well, though the windows seemed to have been blown out.

Now that they were closer, they could definitely tell something was off. The air reeked of burnt flesh.

"Pip," she murmured cautiously.

"Yeah, I smell it. Let's check out the inside. Got my back?"

"Always."

They approached the singed doors cautiously, the wood on them damp but charred.

"When has it rained last around here?" Pip mused.

Beryl pulled her scroll out and tapped a few keys. "Um… three days ago."

The blonde gave her an amused look. "Thanks, babe. So the fire happened before that, I suppose." She leaned around the corner to give a quick look, ducking her head back again. "Looks clear. Roll right."

Beryl nodded, and as Pip moved she was right on her heels, shifting her stance so that she covered the right side of the entryway.

The inside of the large structure was stone as well, for the most part. It consisted of one large room with a staircase at the end that seemed to have been destroyed long ago. The upper floors must not have been accessible. There was a pattern of scorch marks leading from the entryway, smudging the floor and smearing the smaller piles of ash scattered throughout.

And then her eyes fell upon a blackened corpse, huddled in the far corner.

She stared at it, forcing the gorge back down her throat as she breathed shallowly through her mouth. Swallowing, Beryl managed to squeak out Pip's name.

The blonde eased herself to Beryl's side. "Hey, did you find… Oh."

She followed her line of sight and cleared her throat. "Well… I suppose we should see if it was one of the students."

They both stood there, unmoving.

"You gonna go check?" Pip finally whispered.

"No, I'm not gonna go check, _you_ go check!" Beryl hissed back.

"Why me?"

"'Cause you're the leader!"

"Exactly, so I could order you to go check!"

"You could try," Beryl snarked. "And then I could show you exactly where you could stick your 'order'."

Pip sighed. "Such insolence."

"Seriously, Pip, I go over there I'm gonna hurl. That's not very respectful, having to return a corpse with puke all over it."

"Fine, fine…" Pip took a deep breath and then headed over. Beryl was fairly certain that she was holding her breath the whole way.

After only a few seconds she was back again, exhaling loudly. "Okay, wasn't one of them."

"You sure?"

"Yep, older male. Thistle is four females, one of them a deer faunus."

"Oh. I suppose it would have been helpful for me to read the briefing."

Pip smacked her lightly upside her head. "Yes, now that you mention it, that would have been extremely helpful."

The blue-haired girl held back her retort. Her friend did, after all, go investigate the corpse so that she wouldn't have to .

They cautiously canvassed the rest of the large room, but were unable to find any more evidence of habitation. Beryl paused in the center of the room, looking down at the floor curiously. The scorch marks ended at her feet, and from here she could see it was in a broad, fan-like pattern that originated from the doorway itself. "This was no ordinary fire," she murmured.

Pip walked up next to her. "Nope," she agreed. "Dust explosion?"

"Not enough force to it, no… Otherwise the door would have disintegrated, right?"

"True enough, good catch… Well, our folk aren't here, so hopefully it isn't important. I'll mark the location of the corpse in my scroll, they can follow-up with somebody later."

The two girls walked out of the structure and began to circle it. Around the right-hand side Pip threw up a hand, causing Beryl to stop in her tracks.

"What?" she squeaked nervously. The silence of this place was really, really beginning to grate on her nerves. "What is it?"

"Up top," Pip murmured, staring at the roof.

Beryl followed her gaze and saw the long, purple scarf fluttering in the breeze. The end of it wasn't ragged, so it didn't seem to have been there very long.

"Dust," she sighed. "We're gonna have to climb up there, aren't we?"

'You got it. Here, seems to be an emergency ladder of some sort…"

They pulled over some discarded crates and debris, enough to allow Pip to stand on top. She transformed _Odachi Dahlia_ into a sniper rifle and then, holding it by the barrel, used the stock to hook onto the metal ladder up above their heads. With a loud clatter that echoed through the area, louder than a gunshot, it extended down enough that they could climb it.

"Well, now everyone within a mile knows we're here," Beryl sighed resignedly.

Pip smiled encouragingly. "Hey, that just means we don't have to sneak anymore. C'mon, let's get on up there!"

"I don't… Ugh, fine…" Beryl shook her head as she slipped _Dahl_ back over her shoulders and sheathed _Shashka_.

The climb itself took perhaps five minutes, but only because they had to perform some gymnastics to reach the roof itself. Or at least Pip did, with Beryl's short stature she didn't have any hope of getting up there until Pip leaned over and grabbed her outstretched hands to pull her the rest of the way.

The roof of the building was very slightly sloped, just enough so that the sand wouldn't pile up on top. Several chimneys were spaced about, including a much larger one that might have supplied ventilation to a furnace of some sort.

They cautiously inched across towards the fluttering scarf, but Pip quickly determined that the structure was surprisingly sound. She pulled the material down from the chimney where it had been caught up against and examined it.

"Hey, yeah look at the end… The emblem, crossed daggers, I think that belonged to one of the students…"

She was about to pull out her scroll as Beryl took the scarf from her, when a shadow passed over them.

They looked up warily, weapons at the ready, but didn't see anything at first.

"Pip, I got a bad feeling," Beryl whispered. "We're awfully exposed up here…"

"Yeah, but if we descend, we're easy targets while on that ladder," Pip murmured back. "Give it a few…"

And then a large, black shape soared in, buffeting them with wild winds as it screeched angrily. Giant talons sunk into the oversized chimney, sending old bricks flying about.

"Nevermore!" Beryl yelled, huddled behind her shield to protect her from the winds. She glanced up and over the edge to look at the gargantuan size of the beast.

And practically froze in fear.

This was unlike any Nevermore she'd ever faced, or even heard about. Not just the size of it, but the ominous pulsating red veins that glowed and throbbed just under the surface of the beast's dark feathers.

"What the fuck is that thing?" Pip screamed, holding an arm across her face to try and shield it. Her sword was behind her and clutched in the other hand, and she was poised to leap to the attack as soon as the winds calmed down.

"It's a big angry demon Nevermore!" Beryl screamed in reply, twirling her sword until it formed into a carbine. "We gonna bring it down?"

"Dust, yeah!" The winds had died down enough that Pip was able to take a running leap at the creature. Beryl began peppering its face with shots to distract it, but it didn't seem even fazed.

Just as Pip brought her now-glowing sword down to chop at its head, the Nevermore turned its beak and snapped at her. She was just barely able to bring _Odachi Dahlia_ around to intercede, but was thrown backwards for her efforts.

The blonde rolled to a stop at Beryl's feet, groaning and momentarily stunned. She tried to get to her feet again, but ended up in an unsteady crouch.

Beryl looked up again to see the Nevermore open its beak wide, and its insides began to glow.

With a wordless scream, she jumped in front of her friend and crouched with her shield covering the two of them.

A hot blast of air washed over them, preceding the fireball that sent them tumbling backwards. Beryl hadn't even had time to set her semblance, but that likely saved her life as the followup blast incinerated the spot where they had been.

Beryl shakily pulled Pip over behind a chimney, gasping for breath. The blonde was coughing from the smoke, but still clutching her sword determinedly.

"Did that thing just breathe fire?" Pip asked incredulously.

Beryl nodded, her eyes wide. She shot a look around the corner but quickly pulled back. "It's looking for us, we gotta get out of here, Pip…"

"We can't, Beryl," Pip replied hoarsely. "It'll fry us if we try!"

"Right," Beryl murmured, the beginnings of a plan forming. It sounded insane in her head… Well, no, it was definitely insane.

"Okay, I got an idea," Beryl said quickly. "Give me your dust chamber."

Pip reached into the end of her sword and withdrew it, handing it over unquestioningly. Beryl did the same with _Shashka_ in its sheath and held the two of them together, side by side but reversed.

"Oh, no, don't tell me you're gonna…" Pip moaned, looking at her friend wide-eyed. "Beryl, this is a terrible idea."

"Oh come on now," she replied with forced cheer, pulling a strand of wire out of her repair kit and winding it around the two dust cartridges. "Be positive."

"Fine, I'm positive this is a terrible idea. How are we gonna get it at that thing?"

" _We_ are not going to," Beryl replied grimly. Another wire was pulled out and she carefully though quickly wove it through the cartridges themselves. " _You_ are gonna distract it while _I_ run up to it."

Pip looked at her as if she'd suddenly grown a second head.

"Look, I have _Dahl_ to protect me at close range," she said reasonably, though the tremors in her voice betrayed her fear. "You can get away easier, so you're a better distraction. Now, you ready?"

"Beryl, no… no we're not gonna-"

"Pip." The blue-haired girl placed a hand over the lips of the big sister she'd always dreamed of having. "On three."

"Beryl…" Pip whimpered behind her hand.

"One…"

She pulled Beryl's hand down, her eyes filling with tears. "I love you, babe, don't you dare die on me, you got that?"

"Love you too, Pip. Two…" She purposely didn't answer the second part, because in her estimation her chances of survival were slim indeed.

But Pip would get away, and that was all that mattered right now.

"Three!" she shouted, bolting wide around the side of the chimney. She heard Pip screaming defiantly as she rushed out the other side and towards the giant Grimm.

Beryl kept her shield in her hand while the other fiddled with the rudimentary trigger. She'd have about four seconds, give or take, before the twin dust chambers detonated. It was the give or take that worried her.

_It's gonna be a quick blaze of glory if this goes off in my hand…_

She calculated about twenty steps till she could get into throwing range. She just needed to get its attention at the last second.

_Oum, please let this work… please please please…_

Fifteen steps.

_I really hope you find someone to make you happy, Evie, more than I ever could…_

Ten steps.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Pip, the girl flying at the beast with her glowing sword held aloft, blond hair streaming behind her like some sort of heroine of old. _I'm sorry Pip, Lustre, Evie, please forgive me…_

Five steps.

She was suddenly buffeted by winds again as the Nevermore reared up and flapped its wings. Pip went tumbling backwards and off of the roof without another sound.

"Nooo!" Beryl screamed. She activated her semblance, anchoring her in place, but she was still too far away.

But her scream did its job, and now the monstrous glowing creature was focused solely on her.

_Keep moving forward._

It was more than a motto, a mantra even. Those words spoken by Ruby Rose were dearly held in the hearts of her team as an ideal, as a strength in the face of insurmountable odds.

Don't ever quit.

Beryl deactivated her semblance, crouched behind her shield, and took a faltering step forward against the wind.

And then another.

The third step was almost too much, and she had to brace her shield down on the ground to prevent herself from tumbling off like Pip and making her easy prey for the monster. _If the fall didn't kill me first, of course._

She refused to consider whether or not Pip survived the fall. Of course she did, she was Pippin Cerise, and such a gloriously vibrant woman would never be killed by something as mundane as a fall off of a building.

And then the wind finally let up. Beryl peeked over the edge of her shield to see the Nevermore opening its maw at her, its insides beginning to glow ominously.

_Perfect._

She took the last remaining steps, activated the trigger, and flung it down the beast's gullet.

And then she ran like hell.

Beryl panted as she fled, her shield clutched in her grasp. "Get off the roof, get off the roof, get off the roof," she breathed.

She had the sinking feeling, however, that she wasn't going to make it.

Just as the tell-tale _whomp_ sounded from behind her, she jumped. Twisting in midair as best she could, she brought Dahl around and curled up into a tight little ball behind it.

"Please don't make me crispy!" she screamed, squeezing her eyes shut.

And then the concussive blast hit her, along with a searing wave of heat. It pushed her outwards until she was falling from a very impressive height.

 _This is really, really gonna suck_ , she moaned to herself.

But instead of the expected hard impact the diminutive huntress-in-training felt a strong pair of arms pluck her out of the air and arrest her impending crash. Then there was a jolt, and she came to a rest.

The azure-haired girl cracked an eye open hesitantly. Her vision was filled with a pair of pale red eyes, filled with concern.

"You okay?" Pip asked breathlessly.

"Am I dead?"

"Not yet, no. Sorry to disappoint."

"Oh, well. I'll have to try harder next time."

"You do that," the blonde team leader chuckled as she set her teammate down on her feet.

They looked at each other, their expressions somewhere between relief and incredulity. Finally, Pip opened her mouth again.

"'Don't make me crispy'? Really?"

Beryl sighed in resignation. _Well, that's gonna stick._ "Sorry, I don't have your wit."

"I mean, is that what you want on your epitaph? The famous last words of the mighty Beryl?"

The teammates walked off together to search for the rest of their team. The blue-haired girl shook her head morosely. "Maybe you can come up with some one-liners for me. I'll practice."

"How about, 'Suck it, Grimm'?"

"Eh, it's a start."

They walked in silence for another minute before Beryl gave her friend a bump with her shoulder, though it only came up to her elbow. "Thanks, Pip."

The blonde smiled warmly, giving her a gentle bump back. "Anytime, babe."

Pip then wearily pulled her scroll out. "Huh, how about that, still working."

"They do build them pretty tough," Beryl acknowledged.

The blonde paused before holding it up. "Can we agree to not fall apart until we get back to the dorm?"

"I think I can hold off my hysterical breakdown until then."

"Good. You and me, we have some serious screaming and crying to do."

"I'll bring the tissues."

Pip grinned, her eyes still somewhat wild. "Yeah, we'll get ice cream later." She sighed then, and placed her call. "Hey, babe, got anything?"

She listened for a few seconds, her face falling. "Yeah, okay. I think we found what did them in. Right, the explosion, that was us… Yeah, tell you about it later… No, much later. Yeah, she's fine too. Okay, thanks."

They began walking back the way they came, their earlier joking mood somewhat somber now.

"I take it they found the team?" Beryl finally asked.

"Yeah," Pip nodded solemnly. "All burnt, but they identified the weapons. Everybody's converging there."

The petite girl nodded and walked some more, rather surprised her trembling legs were still carrying her forward. "Hey, Pip?"

"Yeah, Beryl?"

"What in Oum's name _was_ that thing?"

"Not anything I ever want to see again."

By that point they'd reached the pathway. Beryl and Pip both paused at the top, listening to the distant sounds of airships as they headed their way.

"Pip?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not gonna last till the dorm room."

"That's okay, babe. Me neither."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, they survived! And if anyone was thinking, well of course they survived, they are major characters, I have a two-part reply to you. For starters, you must not have read some of my other non-RWBY works to be so complacent. And then for the other part, I am a big fan of Joss Whedon and George RR Martin. 'Nuff said.
> 
> I kinda feel bad writing Beryl and her internal anguish. I don't want her to come off as overly angsty, but consider this is an almost painfully shy, socially awkward and anxious girl. Now, the real fun will begin if I ever have her actually get into a relationship. Mwhahaha. Mine is an evil laugh.
> 
> In any case, the next chapter will take us into the Vytal Festival itself! The four-on-four tournament should be interesting for these ladies, to say the least…


	8. Pain

**Volume 1** **  
**

**Vytal Festival**

Evie was at the head of her team's impromptu outing as they headed for the landing pad. Truthfully, she was skipping in her excitement. "C'mon, you guys! Pick it up!"

"Relax, kitty cat," Pip laughed. "He's not due for another fifteen minutes."

"And I want to be there before his airship arrives!" the Cat Faunus replied with a grin.

"Can't believe it's been a month since we've seen him," Beryl commented.

Lustre nodded solemnly, though her pale blue eyes were twinkling with barely restrained eagerness. "I am very pleased he decided to travel out here for the festival."

"And even better, he said it's 'cause of us!" Evie giggled. "He's gonna be in the stands to cheer us on!"

"Now, you know we're not the only Beacon team here, he's gonna be cheering for them too," Pip warned.

Evie's face fell into a pout. "Well, he'll be cheering harder for us," she contended loftily.

"Hey, guys!" a cheery voice called out. "Wait up!"

The four paused to see a bobbing orange-red head sporting a very familiar bright yellow headband moving through the busy crowds towards them. If there were any doubts as to the identity of the speaker, they would be dispelled by the familiar purple-haired visage of Tara, the team leader for TRQS and one of their good friends there in Vacuo. She had a rather harassed look on her face as she looked to be towed behind her excitable partner.

"Hey Tara, Sunny!" Pip called out merrily. "How's it going?"

"Like a cart tied to a horse," Tara complained with a humorous grin. "Ow, dammit Sunny, you're pulling my arm off!"

"But I saw Beryl!" the Fox Faunus' voice chirped.

Pip grinned at the chagrined-looking blue-haired girl. "Maybe you should invest in a hat."

Both Evie and Lustre shared a snicker at their friend's expense. "Well," Beryl sighed, slipping in front of them, "at least I have warning this time."

A squeal of "Beryl!" was heard before a blur of red, orange, and yellow catapulted into the hapless diminutive girl. "Hi, Sunny," she wheezed, trying to gain her breath back as she returned the enthusiastic hug.

Evie ignored the odd pang that she seemed to keep getting whenever the two petite girls interacted, and stepped over to where Tara was also trying to regulate her breathing. "Hey, there, Tara," she greeted her friend warmly, wrapping her up in a one-armed hug. "You able to walk with us? We have an airship to meet."

"Yeah… sure…" the purple-haired team leader panted. "No… problem…"

Pip laughed as she went around to the other side and wrapped her arm around the recovering girl as well. "Here, we'll help. One would think they'd assign someone with Lustre's semblance to be Sunny's partner."

"Oum, that's an excellent idea," Tara laughed breathlessly as she straightened and began moving forward with the others. "Hey, Lustre, mind switching partners while you're here?"

"Sorry, no," Lustre smiled gently. "I am afraid that, unlike Q, I do not have an unlimited pool of aura to draw from."

"Yeah, she's got ya there," Pip chuckled.

Tara glanced behind them to make sure Sunny and Beryl were following them. Evie did the same and noticed that Sunny had her arm around Beryl's waist much as Evie and Pip did with Tara, though the sight of the pair behind them once again caused that odd pang in her chest.

 _Maybe I'm just afraid that Beryl will end up getting hurt?_ she wondered to herself. _I don't know how else to explain this odd feeling I get with the two of them… Well, at least Beryl no longer looks terrified out of her mind._ She had to chuckle under her breath at the memory of when they'd first arrived at Vacuo, the entire first week Beryl had been walking around with a perpetually panic-stricken look on her face, as if she might be ambushed at any time.

"So are you meeting someone?" Tara asked curiously.

"Yep!" Evie grinned, pushing her earlier musings to the side. "He's our mentor, more or less, Professor Atticus Lazuli. He's really awesome, I'm glad you're gonna get to meet him!"

"Oh, nice!" the purple-haired girl grinned back. "And he's just in time, you guys are on tonight, right?"

"We sure are, little over an hour from now!" Pip exclaimed.

"Though we still are uninformed of our opponents," Lustre commented. "It has Beryl worried."

Both Evie and Pip nodded at that. "Yeah, she does like to prep beforehand," the blonde replied, her voice a bit more somber. "Originally it was supposed to be Team Cinnamon, but there's still been no trace found of them, so…"

"Doesn't seem fair to spring it on you at the last minute, though," Tara frowned.

"Well, them's the breaks," Pip declared, her humor once again restored. "We're ready for whatever gets thrown at us!"

By that point they had arrived at the landing pad, and just in time too as evidenced by the descending airship.

Evie let go of Tara and was bouncing up and down on her toes, her hands clasped together.

"Down, kitty!" Pip laughed, grabbing her partner from behind in a hug. "People are gonna start thinking you're having some kinda innapropriate relationship with the professor!"

Evie squawked at that and turned away from the hug to swat at the blonde. "Don't tease like that! He's just really important to me, same goes for all of you! It's because of him we're good enough to even be here!"

"That much is certainly true," Lustre stated calmly, her hands clasped behind her back and her expression serene. "Still, Pip's point is valid. You should attempt to maintain a certain decorum."

Evie grinned mischievously and sidled up to her silver-haired teammate. "Like you got with the food you had last night? What were they called again?"

Lustre's face had an uncharacteristic blush on it that was evident even through her dusky skin. "They were tamales," she stated levelly. "And they were delicious."

"Mmhmm, and we could tell," Evie snarked, skipping around to her friend's other side. "What was the word you used, Pip, to describe her expression?"

"I do believe it was 'orgasmic'," the blonde laughed.

"Yes, that's the one," the Cat Faunus chuckled.

Lustre sighed, her blush intensifying. "You are both incredibly irritating," she stated loftily.

Beryl and Sunny pushed their way through to join the small group. "Alright, you two, stop picking on Lustre," the blue-haired girl spoke up in loyal defense. Her partner graced her with an appreciative smile, which she returned with a wink.

"Honestly, I thought you all would be more nervous about tonight," Tara commented.

Pip shrugged easily. "Eh, worrying won't help anything, we're as prepared as we're gonna get. We've got our new call-outs down and we're ready to rock."

"Well, our team will be there to root for you guys," the purple-haired girl smiled.

"You bet!" Sunny exclaimed proudly while jumping up and down. "Doesn't matter if the other guys are from our school, we'll be behind you guys all the way!"

As the Fox Faunus hadn't relinquished her hold on Beryl, the blue-haired girl was bounced up and down as well, leaving her looking a little dizzy.

"Okay, don't go shaking up my resident tactical genius, Sunny," the blonde team leader laughed. "She's not a milk shake."

"Hmm, if she were, what flavor would she be?" Sunny mused with a sly grin. "Oh, I know, blueberry!"

Beryl chuckled as she shook her head. "You are such a strange girl sometimes…"

The Cat Faunus noted that tight feeling in her chest once again, but it was quickly dispelled.

"Well, there are my favorite girls!" a sonorous voice called out.

The four members of PERL turned to see a familiar person striding up to them. He wore his customary tweed jacket over a crisp white shirt and tan pants, though his boots looked to be newer.

"Hey, Professor!" Evie cheered, waving to him excitedly. "Welcome to Vacuo!"

"Thank you, Miss Black, it has been some time since I was here," Lazuli replied, running a hand through his unkempt grey hair. "How have you girls been? I see you have some new friends with you."

Pip introduced their mentor to Tara and Sunny, who greeted him politely. Lazuli pushed his spectacles up on his nose, peering at the two with his piercing blue eyes.

"Yes…" he murmured. "Team… Turquoise, is it not?"

"Er, yes sir, that's correct," Tara replied, surprised.

"You have a Mr Quicksilver Claret on your team, with a most unusual semblance," he smiled at her calmly. "It has gained my notice, and I would very like to meet the boy. If you would be so inclined, of course."

"Oh, yes sir, no problem!" Tara smiled back. "He's my boyfr- er, my friend, I'm sure he'll want to meet with you!"

"Excellent, excellent. Now then, Miss Beryl, let us walk while you tell me of how you plan to handle a team that you know nothing about just yet, hmm?" Lazuli thrust his ever-present baton into the air. "Onwards, children! I would like to obtain front-row seating for tonight's bout!"

"Yessir!" Evie chirped as she skipped alongside Tara and Pip in his wake. Sunny still stuck closely to Beryl's side, but she'd relinquished her grip on the blue-haired girl, seemingly content to stare at both her and Professor Lazuli raptly as they conversed while walking towards an airbus bound for the arena.

"Well, he's certainly… different," Tara opined quietly.

Evie snickered softly. "Yeah, he is at that. Seriously though, he's my very favorite instructor. I'm just so excited he's here to watch us!"

"Really? I couldn't tell," her blonde partner snarked, ruffling her hair in between her Faunus ears.

She stuck her tongue out in response before giggling. "I've got a good feeling about tonight," she stated.

Vytal Tournament

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Evie moaned, reversing her earlier opinion.

Right before their fight, they were finally given the name of their opponent, Team BSDN. Tara was still with them, and when she heard, her face paled.

"Team Obsidian?" she quailed. "Oh, you guys… I'm so sorry…"

"Well, _that's_ encouraging," Pip quipped. "What's so bad about them?"

"Well…" Tara hedged. "They're tough, but more importantly… really, really brutal."

"Hmm," the blonde mused, eyeing Beryl thoughtfully. "Guess we're gonna have to step up our game, then."

Beryl nodded firmly. "Okay, Tara, what can you tell us about them?"

The purple-haired girl closed her eyes in concentration. "Berry Frost, he fights with twin swords, ice semblance. Fast and vicious. Sinna… Myst, yeah that's her name. Flail, packs a punch."

"Wait a sec," Evie interjected. "What's a flail?"

"Ball and chain," Beryl replied absently. "Who else?"

Tara's brow furrowed. "They've got a sniper, she's pretty accurate too, Nix Flae. But the one you have to really worry about is Dusty." She opened her eyes, the purple irises filled with worry. "Dusty Vajo. He's… huge. Like, over seven feet, and uses a big club, but he's fast. And dangerous. Really hard to take down. They're all fourth years, so they've got a lot of experience."

"Okay…" Beryl chewed on her lip thoughtfully.

Just then they heard the announcer calling for their team to assemble, and they said their goodbyes to Tara and Sunny who went to join the rest of their team plus Professor Lazuli up in the stands.

While it was one thing to hear a description of the team they were facing, it was entirely another to actually face them across the arena.

"Evie, don't be negative," Pip was stating confidently in response to her earlier comment. "Beryl has this, we all do."

"No… no, I have to agree with Evie," the blue-haired girl moaned softly. She couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the sight of the towering man in the middle of the opposing team's formation. He rather closely resembled an Ursa, though he seemed to be far more nimble on his large feet.

"Okay, Beryl, we have a couple minutes at best before our audio gets picked up and the fight begins," the blonde stated anxiously. "You got anything?"

The blue-haired girl nodded quickly, still staring at the ominous-looking Dusty. It didn't help that he, along with the rest of his team, regarded the four of them with confident sneers. "Yeah, we need to tie down the big guy, keep him occupied. Ignore the sniper for now, keep closely engaged and she shouldn't be able to get a decent shot. Um…" She blinked her light bronze eyes, finally tearing her gaze away to view her teammates. "Berry will take two of us. Maybe both Evie and Lustre? Take him down hard, and then… I guess I'll hold off Sinna?"

Pip sighed and placed her hands on Beryl's shoulders. "I know you don't wanna hear this, but I think you should take on Dusty."

"Me?" the blue-haired girl squeaked. "Are you serious?"

"You got this, babe," Pip replied, her face and voice injecting confidence in all of them. "Keep your shield up and keep him busy, we'll take down the others and then come help you. Okay?"

Beryl nodded hesitantly. "Um, one more thing… make sure you try and keep your opponent in between you and Nix, okay?"

The four of them looked up to see that the glowing signs surrounding them were beginning to scroll through the various environment. "Okay," Pip breathed. "Almost showtime. Any questions?"

"Do we have a better rally cry this time?" Evie grinned, trying to dispel the tension.

Lustre looked around at the group. "Never stop moving forward," she murmured.

The four of them simultaneously moved in for a group hug, their foreheads touching. "We got this," Pip whispered, just loud enough to carry to them over the noise of the elated crowd. "Stay strong, watch each other's backs, and remember our training. Just a fight like any other, right?"

"Right," Evie replied with a firm nod.

Beryl and Lustre echoed her sentiments.

The screens stopped scrolling, resulting in ruined urban terrain at their opponents backs and open, grassy fields at their own side. The four of them separated and spread out slightly, Evie bouncing on her toes in eager anticipation.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer boomed as the environments rose into place. "Tonight we have Team Obsidian of Vacuo facing off against Team Pearl of Beacon!"

"Alright, sisters of mine..." Pip grinned.

"Ready…!"

"...Let's kick some ass!"

"BEGIN!"

As soon as the buzzer that accompanied the announcer's voice sounded, the four of them shot forward. Evie kept beside Pip as they ran, noting that Nix had already faded back to disappear into the urban ruins in front of them. She saw a blur of white as Lustre shot past her to reach Berry, and as soon as she saw her engage she activated her semblance, teleporting to the other side of the sword-wielder.

Berry had brought both of his swords up to intercept Lustre's initial strike. They looked to be slightly curved at the tip, like a katana, though one was several inches smaller than the other. Where his swords hit Lustre's staff, small spots of frost formed.

Evie immediately swept her scimitar at their opponent, but he managed to skip aside at the last moment. With a feral grin, he wagged the fingers clutching the smaller sword to encourage them to advance.

The pair of girls were certainly prepared to accommodate him.

Both the Cat Faunus and the silver-haired girl were well acquainted with each other's fighting techniques as they trained together even more often than with their own partners. As Evie spun in low to sweep Berry's feet out, Lustre would twirl her staff around to keep him occupied up high. They would switch positions often, using their mobility to keep him guessing as to where they would strike from next.

His earlier confidence was quickly replaced by first concern, then determination, as he stepped up his own whirlwind swordplay. The pair of girls managed to keep him on the defensive so far, though they would falter slightly whenever he landed a hit that would temporarily freeze a limb or part of their weapon.

Evie eyed the others to see how they were doing as she blinked from one side to the other, trying to keep Berry off-balance. Pip seemed to be handling Sinna just fine, leaping over the explosions that the flail-wielder would create by slamming her weapon into the ground, leaving small craters in her wake. The lanky blonde appeared to have also landed a few hits, as evidenced by smoking patches on her opponent's right arm and both legs.

Beryl, unfortunately, seemed to be faring far worse already. She'd activated her semblance and hunkered down, catching each relentless hammering of Dusty's enormous steel-shod club. He moved far faster than any man that size should have been able to, whirling his club around to hit the blue-haired girl from different angles, keeping her so occupied that she seemed unable to even get a shot in from her carbine.

"Lustre," she called out, wanting to know if she might be able to handle Berry on her own for a spell.

"Not advisable," she grunted back, spinning her staff around her torso. She fired off a few shots from the end of her staff, which Berry blocked adroitly with the shorter sword while fending off Evie's scimitar with the other.

She knew Lustre was right, Berry was just too much to handle for one of them right now. But still, she worried for Beryl. If she could just step up her efforts…

As soon as the idea came to her, she acted upon it. "Campfire!" she declared.

Without hesitation, Lustre used a short burst of her semblance to speed directly behind Evie just as she began a sweep of her trusty _Dao_ , activating her red dust chamber as she did so. Berry brought both swords up to block, but as she suspected, his ice semblance left him more vulnerable to the flame attack. He let out a grunt of pain as he stumbled back, and Lustre was on him once again to press the attack.

Evie took a quick glance at the main screen that displayed the aura levels of the combatants. She and Lustre were well into the green, Pip's levels still green but heading down into yellow. Beryl, unfortunately, was already there in the yellow and fading. The Cat Faunus took a quick swing at Berry to keep him occupied before she could check on Beryl again.

The glowing blue girl was still on the defensive, but Dusty had shifted so that Nix could direct sniper fire on her as well. Most of the hits were absorbed by her oversized shield, but some must have gotten through.

And then, as Dusty began a low-sweeping strike on Beryls shield side, a hit from Nix caused _Dahl_ to tilt up ever so slightly from the impact. It was just enough to allow for the club to arc in and strike the petite girl in the leg.

With her semblance activated, Beryl was well-nigh unmovable. Her feet anchored her and served as focal points that combined with her shield to block any attacks. Unfortunately, while her feet stayed still, her leg did not.

Evie stared in horror as her friend screamed in agony, the _crack_ of her snapped leg carrying across the arena and underscoring her pain. The blue glow cut off as she collapsed to one knee. And then, with a manic grin, Dusty reversed the direction of his strike. The backswing hit Beryl's unprotected side and sent her flying into a ruined building, silencing the petite blue-haired girl.

The Cat Faunus screamed out Beryl's name, just as the announcer came on. "And with that brutal hit, Radiance Beryl is out of the fight!"

She ignored the color commentary that followed, her face slipping into a fierce snarl. _He's gonna pay for that…_ Pip was already in motion, however, and called out, "Evie, take mine!"

The raven-haired Faunus obeyed her team leader without hesitation, blinking over to intercept the flail that was swung at the blonde's back with her scimitar. Evie danced to the side, avoiding a second strike before rolling under yet another.

"What is it with you bitches that you won't stay still?!" she heard Sinna growl.

Evie didn't answer as she had half of her attention on Pip. The lanky blonde was charging at Dusty with a defiant roar, her sword glowing white-hot and held low and behind her with both hands. The large man grinned and set his feet, swinging his club idly in one hand as he watched her approach. When she was almost in striking range he whipped his weapon up and around, trying to catch the team leader in her side to send her flying towards her fallen teammate.

Pip, however, had other plans.

She didn't even bother trying to strike at him, merely skidded to a halt and intercepted his weapon. By now _Odachi Dahlia_ was glowing hotter than Evie had even seen before, so bright that it almost hurt to look at it. She swept it up and lopped off the upper third of the club.

Dusty stumbled as his club became unbalanced. He stared uncomprehendingly at the end of it as it bounced to the ground, but Pip didn't let up. She screamed angrily, her coral eyes flashing as she swung again and again. He vainly tried to block the strikes, but each time she took another piece off of his weapon until there was only the handle left. And then, with a whirl that sent her long blond ponytail arcing out, she swept his feet out from under him with a low strike from her sword.

Before he could hit the ground, Pip was up, leaping high to deliver another strike straight into his stomach. He slammed into the ground, clutching his smoking middle painfully, as his aura dipped into the red. Without hesitation, Pip landed next to him and delivered a vicious kick to his forehead, knocking him out as well as out of the fight.

"Well, looks like Pippin Cerise got revenge for her teammate! Dusty Vajo is out, much to everyone's surprise!" The announcer began to expound on the clash just seen, but by that point Evie had to focus on her own opponent as she'd stepped up her attacks. She swung her flail in a figure-eight pattern, twirling it quickly before shooting it out at her. She did a quick somersault backwards, avoiding the explosive ground strike as well as the follow-up that barely passed over her bent torso.

"Oh, and the exciting back and forth continues as Pippin Cerise falls to Nix Flae!"

"Dust damn it all!" Evie snarled at the announcer's words. Sure enough, Pip's aura was in the red and she was slumped onto the ground. It looked as if she were trying to advance towards a spot back in the ruins, and her Faunus eyes caught the reflection off of metal up in the second story of a ruined building.

_Okay, time to get us back on even footing…_

"Lustre!" she yelled. "Ping Pong!"

She knew she was going to owe her teammate big-time after this. The maneuver, which had fortunately been renamed from 'Pretzel' the week prior, called for Lustre to draw heavily upon her semblance in order to distract a pair of opponents while the other teammate took out a third. The Cat Faunus leapt back just in time, as a blur of white streaked past to slam into Sinna, bowling her over. As soon as she had hit, she was gone again, heading back to Berry.

Evie took advantage of the breathing room to activate her own semblance. Mentally crossing her fingers, she pushed a little extra aura into the effort and teleported into the building where she'd seen the sniper.

The Cat Faunus ended up miscalculating slightly and blinked in just above the floor of the ruined building, but she landed in an easy crouch with her tail out behind her for balance. It was enough to get Nix's attention, as the girl whirled around in surprise. Evie didn't allow her time to react, as her scimitar was already sweeping out in front of her. The application of green dust caused a concussive blast to strike the hapless sniper directly, shattering the wall behind her and sending her sailing out of bounds.

Grinning tightly at the sound of the buzzer indicating the elimination of another opponent, Evie darted forward and leapt out of the building.

"A surprise attack from Evelyn Black eliminates Nix Flae from the fight! Boy, she almost took out the whole building with her, didn't she?"

 _You ain't seen nothin' yet,_ she grinned to herself ferally. She eyed her opponents carefully as she raced forward as well as Lustre's position. Her silver-haired teammate was still bouncing from one target to the other, but she had to be almost spent.

With a wordless shout, Evie leapt into the air and blinked over directly behind Sinna. Her feet landed right between her shoulder blades to send the flail-wielder crashing face-down into the concrete.

Before she could recover, Lustre was there and swinging her staff in an overhand strike, landing a powerful blow on the top of the downed Vacuo native's head.

"Oh, my, Sinna Myst has been double-teamed and is now out as well! It's two-on-one, and things are not looking good for Team Obsidian!"

Evie caught Lustre as she staggered forward after her last sprint. The silver-haired girl sagged in her arms, panting heavily.

"Hey, nice job, sweetie," Evie murmured, keeping a wary eye on the slowly approaching Berry. "Think you got enough juice to take this last guy down?"

"Perhaps," Lustre groaned, straightening out. "Allow me to engage at range, though."

Evie turned to face her, giving her a wink and a grin. "You got it." Without sparing a glance, she blinked herself backwards and directly behind their last remaining opponent.

While he might have been low on aura, his reflexes were still up to the task. Berry quickly spun, bringing one sword up to block Evie's strike while the other stabbed downwards. The Cat Faunus' eyes widened as her right foot got caught in the spreading ice on the ground, rendering her temporarily immobile.

Just as he swung one of his swords back with a wide smirk on his face, Berry was hit from behind with multiple rounds. He turned, the victorious expression now one of anger, to spin a blade and deflect the attacks, and so missed Evie's triggering of her dust chamber. The concussive blast sent her sprawling, free of the ice, but it served its primary purpose well as Berry's aura finally slipped past the line.

"And that's the match, as Berry Frost is eliminated! Team Pearl takes the win!"

Evie struggled to her feet, eyeing Lustre wonderingly. _Well, how about that, we actually pulled it off… Oh, Dust, Beryl!_

She squeezed the last of her aura into her semblance, teleporting over to where she'd seen her friend land.

"Beryl!" she yelled anxiously as she sheathed _Dao_. "Beryl, where are you?"

The raven-haired Faunus frantically dug among the rubble, pulling bits and pieces of concrete aside until she could spy a glimpse of blue steel.

"Oh, thank Oum," she whispered, pulling more of the debris aside. She uncovered _Dahl,_ and gently moved it aside.

Her teammate was lying under it, unmoving but breathing shallowly. Streaks of blood ran through the concrete dust that dulled her blue hair and her face. She looked down and gasped to see the compound fracture in her leg.

_Oh my Oum, she's lucky she didn't lose her entire leg!_

"Medic!" she screamed over her shoulder. "Please, we need a medic here! Quickly!"

Pip arrived at that point, supported by Lustre as she still wasn't too steady on her feet. Both of them inhaled sharply at the condition of their teammate.

"I'm gonna go chop that asshole's leg off right now," the blonde growled furiously.

"No, Pip, do not do anything rash," Lustre warned, tightening her grip around her waist.

Evie didn't pay them much heed as she reached down and gently clasped one of Beryl's limp hands.

"Please," she whispered through the tears she hadn't realized were streaming down her cheeks. "Please be okay, Beryl… just hang in there."

She heard the sounds of a commotion behind her as medical personnel arrived with a stretcher.

_Please be okay…_

**Shade Academy**   
**Infirmary**

Beryl had immediately been flown back to Shade and brought into their extensive infirmary. Her weary and dirty teammates stuck by her side all the way up until she was taken back into surgery.

Both Pip and Lustre sat next to each other, gratefully drinking down fluids, but Evie sat off by herself, staring at her hands that were clenched in between her legs.

Through the haze of exhaustion, the Cat Faunus tried to ponder why she acted the way she had at the end of the fight.

_Of course I was concerned with Beryl, she's my teammate, my friend. My sister through a bond more powerful than blood. There's nothing wrong with that._

It was only due to her weary state of mind that she was even allowing herself to wander down this path of self-reflection. Normally she wouldn't consider her actions to be out of the ordinary, but something, some small little voice in the back of her head, was whispering to her that all was not as it seemed.

 _Ridiculous._ She snorted to herself softly. _What am I thinking, that I… like her in some fashion? I don't see her that way, and she certainly doesn't see me in such a fashion. Besides, Sunny has her sights set on her, and I want her to be happy._

There it was again, that little twinge that coiled in her chest whenever she thought of Sunny and Beryl together.

_Yes, Dust be damned, I want her to be happy! I want her safe, and whole, and… and…_

"Hey, you okay, babe?" Pip softly inquired.

Evie looked up at her blearily. "I'm… Yeah. Just worn out, I think I completely drained myself of my aura reserves."

"You and I both," Lustre murmured. She held up a bottle of electrolyte fluids inquiringly, and Evie nodded back in appreciation. The silver-haired girl sent it to her in an underhand toss, which she almost didn't catch.

"Yeah, okay, maybe you need to lie down a bit," the blonde stated, rising up from her chair to move over to her partner. "You're gonna fall over soon."

"Can't," she mumbled, fumbling with the drink bottle. _Why can't I get this bloody thing open?_ "Have to… wait for Beryl…"

Pip sighed and plucked the bottle out of her hands. She deftly twisted it open before handing it back again.

"Thanks," Evie murmured before taking a long pull of the fluid. It definitely helped, she could feel the rejuvenating aspect of the energy drink revitalizing her immediately. "Okay," she sighed in relief. "Yeah, that helped alot. I'm good now, honest."

Pip let out a noncommittal hum, but their heads all snapped around as the door to Beryl's room opened.

"Alright then, you are Team Pearl?" the female doctor asked. "We're done in here, you're welcome to come sit inside now."

The three girls eagerly sprang to their feet and followed the doctor inside. Beryl lay on her back, the sheets pulled aside to expose the large white cast that engulfed her lower leg. Seeing Beryl in the pale green hospital gown, swathed in bandages from the wounds she'd taken when thrown through the wall, she looked to be so…

"She looks so small and fragile," Pip whispered brokenly as she eased herself into a chair.

"Yeah," Evie nodded, wiping away a stray tear. "Yeah, she does."

Lustre walked over to the bedside and held Berl's hand in her own, staring down at her partner sorrowfully. "Pip," the silver-haired girl breathed.

"Yeah, babe?"

"I believe you had some plan to separate that man's leg from his body?"

Pip laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, but you were right earlier, cooler heads should prevail on this. Don't need to get us disqualified already."

"And there's no need for it," Lazuli announced as he eased the door to the room open. The girls greeted him softly, the toll from the day's fight clearly wearing on them.

"Don't be concerned with Mister Vajo," their combat instructor assured them. "I spoke with Headmaster Zaff personally, and he has assured me that his student's actions will not go unpunished." The grey-haired man smiled at them wryly. "I imagine having that young man's brutality showcased on live television did not do him any favors, either."

"Well, that's good, at least," Pip grumbled. "Any idea as to what his punishment is?"

"As I understand it, for starters he is restricted to campus for the remainder of the semester, as well as prohibited from utilizing the training facilities," Lazuli murmured. "Granted, he will still be graduating at the end of the semester, but I believe Headmaster Zaff has a few more ideas to make Mister Vajo regret his actions."

"Still doesn't help Beryl, though," Evie sighed despondently.

"No, it does not, but while small in stature, your teammate is far more willful and tenacious than most accredited hunters I have known," he assured her. "She will be back on her feet in no time. She just needs her rest."

"Thank you, Professor," Lustre smiled tearfully.

"No thanks are needed. Now, if you're willing, you have some friends outside who wish to come in."

Pip nodded gratefully. "Yeah, sure, show them in please."

Lazuli nodded to them and turned towards the door. "By the way," he mentioned over his shoulder. "You all did extraordinarily well today. I was most impressed with your ingenuity and teamwork, considering you had little chance to prepare for your opponents." Lazuli flashed them a warm smile. "Be proud of your efforts today."

With that he exited, ushering in the somber members of Team Turquoise.

Sunny immediately darted over to the side of Beryl's bed opposite of Lustre and clutched at the blue-haired girl's other hand, while Rufus walked over to engulf Pip in a warm hug.

Tara and Q came over to sit next to the Cat Faunus. "Hey, how are you doing, Evie?" the purple-haired team leader asked gently.

Evie sighed. "Been better." She laughed shortly and then amended, "Been worse, though."

Tara reached over and gave her a warm hug of support. "You know we're here for you guys, right?"

Evie nodded, resting her head on Tara's shoulder. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Hey, don't get down," Q admonished to the room at large. His quiet voice carried easily, causing them to look up at the dark-haired boy. "You guys did terrific today, and you advanced to the next round!"

"We did?" a weak voice answered. Everyone swiveled their heads to see Beryl peer out blearily from behind slitted eyelids. "Did we win?"

"Yes, we did," Lustre smiled down at her partner softly.

"Yay, us," Beryl cheered weakly. "Is it okay if I sit out the next round, though?"

Pip threw her head back and laughed loudly. She was soon joined by everyone else in the room.

"Yeah, you bet, babe," the blonde replied, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

Sunny leaned over and planted a kiss on Beryl's cheek. "And I'll be here to take care of you, so don't the rest of you guys worry any," she declared jubilantly.

Evie clutched at her chest from the stabbing pain that shot through her. _What the hell…?_ She shook her head as she rose up from her seat. _Ugh, I'm just tired, tired and achy and…_

"Hey, you okay?" Tara asked her with a worried look on her face.

"Yeah, I'm good," Evie smiled back wanly. "Now that Beryl's awake, I think I'm gonna go sleep for a day or three."

"I'll go with you," Pip yawned. "Beryl, you rest and don't go anywhere, you hear me?"

"You got it, boss," the blue-haired girl joked quietly. "I think I'm just gonna go back to sleep myself, now."

Lustre smiled at her teammates, indicating that she would remain behind.

As Evie and Pip walked across campus and towards their dorm room, they held each other up with their arms around each other. "Hell of a day," the blonde murmured.

"Yep," Evie sighed. "At least we know she's okay, though."

"Yeah. Beryl's one tough fighter. She'll be fine, especially with everyone looking out for her."

The Cat Faunus nodded numbly. _And she's happy… she is, she's happy with Sunny, I could see it in her eyes when she was kissed on the cheek…_

She didn't even try to fight the little voice this time, the one that now adamantly declared that she should pay attention to that stabbing pain that cut through her every time she thought of the two of them being together.

Right now, however, she was simply too tired to care.

**Undisclosed Location**

"Well, well," the man in the shadows murmured. "What have we here…"

He was intently watching the replay of one of the Vytal Festival bouts. His hand was resting on the controls in front of him, sometimes pausing the action, other times rewinding it to view it again.

"My Lord?" a feminine voice called out.

The elegantly suited man snapped his gaze up to stare at his subordinate with his intense pale green eyes. "Yes, Whisper?" he asked levelly.

The tiny girl wore her dark purple hair in ringlets across her shoulders today, and they bounced slightly as she made a brief curtsy. The man smiled very slightly at her renewed deference.

"My Lord, have you had the chance to review the footage from our subject that was killed?" she asked, her small hands clutching at her dark skirt.

"I have indeed. You might find this interesting, actually."

He tapped a few keys and a pair of pictures were sent up on the screen. As it was transparent, she was easily able to see it, even though it was in reverse. On one, a pair of female teens in armor were facing the camera in a combat pose, one huddled behind a large blue shield while the other seemed to be in motion, running towards them and wielding a large sword. The other showed the scene before the tournament fight that evening, a group shot of four girls, two of which matched the ones in the first image.

"That's the group from tonight's fight…" Whisper mused quietly.

"Yes, they are," he replied with a trace of humor in his voice. "Team Pearl from Beacon."

"Seemed like they just barely won, though," Whisper commented as she stood upright, tugging her black jacket into place. "What were the names of the two who killed the subject?"

"Pippin Cerise and Radiance Beryl," the suited man replied slowly, rolling the names across his tongue as if savoring the flavor of them. "The only students so far to have survived an encounter with our project."

"So," the girl began, taking a seat across from him. "What do you intend to do?"

He sat quietly, gazing intently at the two image captures. "This one," he finally murmured absentmindedly, "has a heat-related semblance…"

"My Lord?"

"Nothing just yet, my dear, though they might be of use in the future for a more advanced phase…" He leaned forward slightly, enough that the glow from his monitor reflected off of his glittering pale green eyes.

"For now, though… Perhaps we should look into relocating to Vale…"

"Um, I see…" Whisper replied uncertainly. "Shall I ask Leech to look into it?"

"Not just yet, no," he dissented quietly. "He's needed where he is." He leaned back once more and steepled his fingers. "That will be all, Whisper."

"Yes, My Lord," the tiny girl responded before departing.

The suited man touched another few keys, and the tournament from earlier once again played on the screen. He froze it at the image of Pip as she charged at the towering Dusty.

"Someday, perhaps soon…" He murmured to himself. "You just might be very valuable to me…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, so we got us some kick-ass action, a wounded Beryl being tended to by Nurse Sunny, a mopey kitty cat, and the mystery man of the hour plotting fiendishly. Oh, and yes, there's mention of a new player on the bad guy's side. Leech will show up later, have no fear. He's a real charmer.


	9. Stomp

**Volume 1** **  
**

**Vytal Festival**

Both of Teams PERL and TRQS wandered through the festival grounds, the colorful tents hawking wares of both food and souvenirs. Beryl was with them, though she was hobbling gamely along on crutches with an attentive Sunny at her side.

Rufus wrapped an arm around Pip's shoulders and leaned in to give her a quick peck on the cheek. "Hey, we should grab a bite to eat before we head back over," he commented.

"Ugh, not me," Evie waved him off cheerfully. "I don't like fighting on a full stomach."

"I do not mind," Lustre interjected. "I could indeed use some food."

Pip snorted humorously, flicking her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder. "That's because you use that face-searing spice to power your semblance."

While Lustre shot her a mock glare, the others chuckled at her expense.

"Hey, how about here?" Tara asked, indicating a noodle stand. "I've been to their shop in downtown Vacuo, pretty sure he has stuff to Lustre's tastes."

"Very well then," Lustre replied loftily. "Thank you, Tara."

"You're welcome, Lustre," the purple-haired girl replied solemnly. "I do want you fully powered for your fight, after all."

Lustre sighed melodramatically. "Pip, you have become a bad influence on our friends."

"Too true," the blonde snickered as they made their way over to the stall that had a long counter with tall stools lining across the face of it. "Too true."

They spread out along the counter while the proprietor, a friendly-looking old man by the name of Eabhair, took their orders. He spent a few minutes in front of Lustre while she quizzed him regarding the spices he used.

"That girl really takes her food seriously," Tara murmured from in between Pip and Q.

The blonde nodded amicably. "She's usually pretty particular, but it's gotten worse since we got to Vacuo. I think she feels like she's in heaven with all the spicy stuff they have here."

Rufus laughed from the other side of Pip. "I also think she's on a quest to find the hottest she possibly can. Did you hear what she ordered?"

The other three shook their head. "Well," he chuckled. "Let's just say not everyone can even prepare those kinds of peppers without special precautions."

"Listen to you, mister knowledgeable chef," Pip quipped. "How do you know all about this?"

"My mom's a chef," the tall and muscular boy explained genially. "Picked up a few things."

"Oh, really?" she grinned, propping her elbow on the counter and resting her chin on her hand. "Anything you might be able to cook up for lil' ole me?"

"Um," he replied, blushing slightly. "It's nothing fancy, but I can do a few dishes…"

"Sounds like the start to an intimate evening," Pip grinned, batting her eyelashes at him.

Rufus grinned back somewhat foolishly. "Okay, then, it's a date. Tomorrow night? I got a buddy who lives in town, he's not a student. Bet I could convince him to let us use his place while he's at work."

The blonde nodded slowly. "I like the sound of that," she purred.

"You two," Tara laughed.

Their food quickly arrived, Pip's noodles being coated in a peanut sauce that smelled heavenly. The group turned to face Lustre curiously, who had not yet received her food. The silver-haired girl, however, sat unconcernedly with a serene look on her face.

"Special preparation, remember?" Rufus murmured.

And then the proprietor emerged from the rear of the shop, a bandana wrapped around his mouth and nose while carrying the bubbling bowl gingerly with gloved hands.

As he set the dish in front of Lustre, the others leaned away from her in concern.

"Lustre, I think the fumes from that is melting my cast," Beryl complained humorously.

The spice-loving girl in question inhaled over her dish and a happy smile spread across her face as she ignored the others. "Oh, yes," she murmured. She accepted her chopsticks, which were steel unlike the bamboo ones her teammates were given, and began to eat.

"Oh, wow," Rufus murmured as he listened to Lustre's pleased sounds while she ate. "That's… Wow."

Pip smacked him lightly on the arm. "Stop ogling my teammate," she snickered.

"I'm not ogling!" he protested.

"Well, whatever you call it when you ogle with your ears, stop it."

"Is there even a word for that?" Tara asked curiously before slurping down a noodle coated in a creamy white sauce.

"What, audibly ogle?" Q asked.

"How about augle?" Pip opined.

Rufus chuckled. "That can't be a word."

"It is if I make it up."

"Don't let her name things!" Evie piped in from across the stall.

"We're not talking about call-outs, this is legit!" Pip snarked back.

"Speaking of which, I had a question for you," Tara broke in. "How do you guys handle call-outs? I mean, sometimes I've noticed you shout out the maneuvers, sometimes I hear Beryl, and every so often it's Evie. How do you guys figure out who's in charge?"

Pip laughed, taking another bite of her noodles before answering. "It's kinda complicated, but it works out for us. See, Beryl's our little tactical genius, so for the most part she calls stuff out."

Beryl nodded agreeably. "But I'm sometimes occupied in the middle and can't always see the big picture."

"So that's when I call out something if I can see it," Pip continued.

Tara nodded thoughtfully. "And Evie?"

"She's sorta my backup and can pick things up. Usually only if Beryl or I are out of the fight."

"Yep, I'll be doing the call-outs during tonight's bout with Lustre," the Cat Faunus chimed in.

"So what about Lustre, then?" Q interjected.

Pip grinned as she leaned back on her stool. "Lustre is, hands-down, the best fighter of the four of us. But she's not the most tactically-minded when it comes to group combat. Doesn't matter when she's such a wildcat with that staff of hers."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Lustre mumbled around her mouthful of noodles.

Pip snorted a laugh. "You know she's enjoying it if she'll talk with her mouth full."

The silver-haired girl swallowed the bite quickly. "Hush," she chided before taking another.

Laughing, the blonde finished up her meal before continuing. "So yeah, like I said, it's convoluted but it works for us in the end. We've been fighting and training together for so long that it's almost second nature by now."

"Especially now that we renamed our call-outs," Evie murmured just loud enough to carry.

"Heard that," Pip snarked.

"Wasn't trying to be all that quiet, really."

"Smartass."

"Dork."

"Ahh, sisterly love," Beryl chuckled, pushing her bowl away from her.

"So are you guys gonna be up in the stands with us?" Sunny asked eagerly. "I can go save really good seats for us, right up front!"

"Yeah, sure, that sounds good," the blue-haired girl smiled. "Thanks, Sunny."

"You betcha! C'mon, Team Turquoise, let's go grab some primo seating and fight off any contenders!"

Sunny raced around and grabbed ahold of Tara, yanking her partner off of her stool.

"Ow, dammit Sunny, I'm coming! Stop yanking my arm off!"

Rufus and Q got to their feet with a chuckle, both of them leaving enough lien to cover their meals as well as their girlfriends.

"Aww, thanks babe," Pip grinned at him. "I got the next one, okay?"

"You bet, darlin'," the tall russet-haired boy grinned back. "We better go make sure Sunny doesn't challenge anyone for a duel over the seats that she sets her sights on."

"And that Tara doesn't kill her," Q sighed humorously. He looked at Beryl suspiciously. "Sunny didn't get any sugar today, did she?"

"No, of course not!" the blue-haired girl replied innocently, though perhaps a bit too quickly.

The pair of boys shared a rueful chuckle as they headed off after their other teammates.

"We should head over as well," Lustre commented after slurping up the sauce from her bowl.

"Right," Evie agreed. "Well, wish us luck, guys."

The four of them shared hugs. "No luck needed," Pip assured them. "You guys got this, go kick some ass."

The blonde remained behind with Beryl to help her move through the crowds, as she was still limited in her mobility while on crutches. Her aura had been able to heal most of the damage from a few days ago in their team bout, but the rest still needed a bit of time.

"Sooo," Pip drawled as she walked slightly in front of her friend to push passersby out of the way. "How's it going with you and Sunny?"

"It's… going," Beryl replied slowly. "The thing is… I'm not sure I feel anything other than friendship for her. I mean, yeah I'm attracted to her, but only physically. Does that make sense?"

Pip shrugged. "So you don't think you're all that compatible for, say, a relationship?"

"I guess. What do you think?"

"Well, it can be hard with people that are really different…" Pip turned to glance over at her petite friend. "I mean, I know the old saying goes 'opposites attract', but sometimes that just means it's incompatible. It's how you feel about it that's important."

Beryl shook her head as she maneuvered around a corner. "Not like I really need to rush anything," she commented. "We've still got over a month here."

"Yeah, about that…" The blonde grimaced. "I didn't want to tell the others before their fight… But Professor Lazuli let me know that the kingdoms are recalling their visiting teams after the tournament is over."

"What?" Beryl almost shouted as she tried not to trip. Pip's hand shot forward to steady her which earned her a grateful smile. "So how come?"

"It's all these missing teams, got everyone on edge. Not enough just to forbid the foreign teams from going out on missions, the Headmasters all decided it was for the best to just have everyone head home."

"Oh," Beryl sighed glumly.

"But we still have the dance!" the blonde said, trying to cheer her friend up. "It's the night after the final scheduled singles fight! We'll have to leave the day after, but still…"

"Okay," Beryl nodded, though her glum look didn't change much.

Pip sighed. "What, you feeling rushed now?"

"It's not just that…" Beryl looked up at her morosely. "I'm gonna have to wear a dress for the dance, aren't I?"

The blonde team leader threw her head back and barked out a laugh, earning her stares from those walking nearby. "Yes, my dear Beryl, you're gonna have to wear a dress. We're all going out shopping for dresses together, remember?" She eyed her teammate humorously. "So did Sunny ask to take you to the dance?"

Beryl nodded, a slight smile easing some of her morose expression. "Yeah, she did. I accepted."

"That's awesome, babe!" Pip cheered.

"Kinda surprised myself, actually."

"Well, I think it's great. It'll be fun, you'll see."

"Pip?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"You gonna make me wear heels, too?"

The blonde laughed again. "It won't kill you," she assured her.

"Don't be so sure," Beryl grumbled.

**Vytal Tournament**

Pip settled into her seat in between Rufus and Tara as was her usual. Out in the center of the arena, Lustre and Evie stood calmly and faced their opponents from Team DNDL.

"So, you guys already worked out their strategy beforehand, right?" Tara asked, leaning over to include Beryl in the conversation where she sat next to Sunny. The Fox Faunus was holding the blue-haired girl's hand excitedly.

"Pretty much," Beryl agreed. "The biggest problem is Nave's semblance, so they're going to work on taking her out hard and fast."

Pip nodded, picking up the narrative. "Her semblance causes vertigo, but it's fairly short-ranged. If they can take her down then they can work on Lilly, who will be a handful as well."

"She fights with twin swords, right?" Q commented.

Pip nodded once more. "Yep, and she's really good, so they're gonna have to save some energy for her."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer rang out. "Tonight we have a much-anticipated doubles match for you! On the one side are Evelyn Black and Lustre Bijou of Team Pearl from Beacon. On the other, we have Nave Quinn and Lilly Azure of Team Dandelion from Haven. Both teams were exciting to watch in their battles last week, and we're hoping for another thrilling match tonight!"

The screens surrounding the central portion of the battlefield began to scroll through. Eventually they settled onto a savannah, forest, lava, and finally desert.

"Go get 'em, girls!" Pip shouted as the terrain rose into place.

"Ready… Three… Two… One… Fight!"

Immediately both Lustre and Evie split up to opposite sides, the former towards the lava while the Cat Faunus sped off into the savannah.

"Why are they splitting up?" Tara asked anxiously.

Beryl, however, had a wide grin on her face. "Watch," she said smugly.

Lilly raced off after Luster, her twin swords out and held to the side as she wore an eager grin on her face. Soon enough those swords flashed in a defensive pattern as the silver-haired girl opened fire with _Winter Contus_ while her opponent closed with her. A few shots got through, dipping Lilly's aura slightly, but soon enough their battle was joined.

Over on the other side, Evie was blinking back and forth to keep Nave off-balance. Each time the Mistral native would try to use her semblance to try and cause the nimble girl to stumble, Evie would blink away again to strike from an unexpected side. Still, it quickly wore on her as her scimitar had to deflect the strikes from Nave's large mace. She caught the edge of Nave's semblance once and barely managed to teleport away to avoid the follow-up strike.

As the Cat Faunus stumbled to her feet she glanced about to check on her teammate's position. Seeing she had a clear line of sight, she gave a tight grin and yelled out, "Cat Pounce!"

As she did so, she blinked back behind Nave once more and crouched low. Nave spun with her mace held high but was unexpectedly hit from behind as Lustre arrived in a blur of white, her staff slamming into the other girl's back while Evie swept her feet out from under her. Nave landed on her face, hard, but still managed to knock Evie back as well with her weapon. Lustre stepped to the side and brought her staff down on the back of the Mistral native's head, taking her out of the fight.

"A successful sneak attack on Nave Quinn takes her out of the fight! But don't go counting Dandelion out just yet, folks!" the announcer said.

Evie staggered to her feet just in time to see Lilly charging at her. She blinked back into the center of the arena at the last minute and stood there, swaying slightly. Lilly reversed course and headed back for her but slowed when she saw Lustre circling from the other side.

The three of them eyed each other warily. Both Lilly and Evie were in the red but still in the fight, while Lustre had only just dipped into the yellow.

"Evie?" the silver-haired girl called out, the overhead speakers picking up on their conversation and adding it to the broadcast. "Are you well?"

"Well enough," the Faunus replied, now circling Lilly warily opposite from Lustre. "Running on empty, though."

"Yeah, she's only got one more teleport left in her," Pip murmured worriedly.

"Still, they can take her out, right?" Rufus asked.

"It's not a sure thing," Beryl interjected while chewing on her bottom lip. "We were hoping both Evie and Lustre would be closer to green still."

"Evie, I know I do not usually call these things," the silver-haired girl stated loudly. "But perhaps you might still have enough for a Blink Kick?"

"Ugh, fine," Evie groaned in reply. Lilly glanced between the two of them, poised to repel an attack from either direction. "You're gonna owe me for this, though."

"I have heard of a very nice sushi place downtown called Liam's Bistro," Lustre mentioned nonchalantly.

The Cat Faunus nodded in acceptance. "Fine, I'll hold you to that."

Sunny snickered. "You guys have the strangest combats," she commented.

"Normal is boring," Beryl agreed.

And then Lustre was off, her warstaff spinning about her torso in a whirlwind as she rushed at Lilly. The other girl had her swords flashing in the stadium lighting, countering each blow and keeping Lustre focused on her own swordsmanship. Pip sucked in a quick breath at the speed of the pair.

"Oum, Lilly really is good," the blonde said softly.

Once their remaining opponent was fully engaged with Lustre, Evie made her move. She sprang straight upwards, spinning about in a circle before blinking right next to the sword-wielder at the apex of her spin-kick. It took Lilly in the side of her head, staggering her enough that Lustre was able to land a quick combo of strikes that took her out of the fight.

Dual buzzers sounded to declare the elimination of the two combatants. "Oh, how very exciting! Evelyn Black sacrifices herself in one last attack to take out Lilly Azure! And that's the match, as Lustre Bijou is the last combatant standing!"

Pip jumped to her feet and gave Beryl a grin. "I'm gonna go check on them, okay babe?"

"Go on," Beryl waved to her. "I'll be down there eventually with Sunny and the others."

The blonde smirked to herself as she hurtled through the crowds and towards the arena entrance. _With Sunny, eh? Maybe you just might be able to make something happen before we leave…_

She flashed her scroll to the guards at the gate, who then allowed her onto the arena floor. She raced across the floor, arriving at where Lustre was supporting Evie where she sat, panting heavily.

"Nice job, guys!" Pip beamed. She flung herself forward and enveloped her two teammates in a hug. "That was seriously awesome! And look at you, Lustre, making with the call-outs!"

"I promise not to let it happen again," her friend replied humorously.

"That was well played, you two," a voice called out from behind them.

Lilly and Nave were there, supporting each other as they walked forward slowly. Pip stood, offering Evie a hand up and flashing the others an easy grin.

"Hey there, you definitely got some moves, Lilly, really impressive," the blonde stated.

The dark-haired Mistral native laughed ruefully. "Well, I got nothing on Lustre. I mean, damn."

"Thank you," Lustre nodded with a friendly smile. "It was a good fight."

"That it was," Nave commented, brushing her auburn locks out of her sweaty face. "And you, Evie. I'd watched the video of your fights, but that didn't prepare me at all for in person!"

The Cat Faunus laughed lightly. "Believe me, I was pushing myself to my limits to keep ahead of you. Well fought, you two."

"Hey," Pip commented as they turned to leave. "You and your team wanna meet up with us at that sushi place? Our treat."

"Free sushi? How can I refuse!" Lilly grinned. "Say an hour from now?"

The blonde team leader nodded amicably. "Yep, see you there!"

Between Pip and Lustre, they managed to help Evie off of the arena floor towards the gate where Beryl and Team TRQS waited.

"Well, made some new friends," Pip said cheerfully.

"An offer of free food can do that," Lustre commented wryly.

"Pfft. It's just my winning personality."

"Yes, you go ahead and tell yourself that."

"Dust, look at you, gettin' all snarky with your team leader."

"Someone must ensure your ego does not become oversized."

"Oh," Evie chuckled wearily. "I think we all have a handle on that…"

**Vacuo Wilderness**

"Did you hear that?" Mai asked softly as she crouched behind a large boulder. Her spiky blond hair waved gently in the breeze as she cocked her head to the side.

"Hear what?" her partner Cherry murmured back. The lanky redhead shouldered her rifle, gazing out at the convoy they were escorting. "Only thing I hear is Martin complaining about our pace. I swear to Oum, if he doesn't-"

"Shhh!" Mai hissed, holding her hand out. The stocky girl had a firm grip on her two-handed sword and her aqua eyes probed the darkness around them intently. "I swear, there's something… Oh, Dust," she finally breathed.

"What?" Cherry asked, finally getting concerned. She brought her rifle around, holding it up to her shoulder but pointed at the ground still. "What are you hearing?"

Her partner turned back to her in concern. "Gryffons."

"That's not… What are they doing so far north?"

"I dunno, but we better get them moving, now!"

Cherry nodded firmly. "Right." She headed off, her long strides quickly taking her to the cluster of trucks idling. The four boxy vehicles had stopped to give the drivers a break as they still had another hour to go before they reached the outskirts of Vacuo.

"Martin!" she called out as quietly as she could. "We got incoming, get your people moving!"

The teamster bit back a curse and ran around, snarling and kicking those into action who were a bit too slow.

Cherry turned again, her rifle now up and pointing at the sky as she probed the darkness with her own brilliant emerald irises. "Mai, you taking lead vehicle again?"

"Yeah, I got it," her partner called back as she hurried by, pausing briefly to clasp forearms with her. "Be safe," she murmured.

"You too," the redhead replied with a nod.

As Mai headed forward to join Martin in the lead vehicle, she ran back to the last one in the line, hopping up onto the side of the cab.

"Augie, you set?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Huntress, we're ready to go!" the excitable teen replied.

Cherry shook her head in amusement. "Augie, I keep telling you, Cherry is fine."

"Yes, Hun-, er, I mean Cherry. Ma'am."

The redhead snorted again, hefting her rifle in one hand as she saw the lead vehicle get underway.

"So, what kind of Grimm are we facing?" Augie asked after a few moments.

Cherry opened her mouth to reply, but what she saw made the words catch in her throat.

Soaring in from the left was a large Gryffon, though it wasn't like one she'd ever seen. Granted, in her two years of being a full-fledged huntress she'd only spied one of the rare and reclusive creatures, but still. She was pretty damn sure it should not have been glowing green.

As it flew by, it opened its mouth and bellowed, only the sound that was emitted was far more powerful than any Grimm should have been able to produce. The shockwave from the beast's roar knocked the second truck in line on its side, leaving the dust-powered wheels spinning in the air.

"Damn!" Augie yelled, swinging the wheel to the left to avoid the truck in front of him which had slammed on its brakes.

"Keep moving!" Cherry shouted, clinging to the side of the truck for all she was worth. "We have to keep moving!"

Augie gunned the engine, sending the box truck hurtling down the side of the rough road and past the stalled truck. Cherry stood up and yelled over the top of her truck that they needed to get moving as well, but her eyes widened as she saw the Gryffon coming back to make another pass.

"Go, go, go!" she screamed. The teen driver wasted no time in accelerating away from the other trucks. A small explosion lit up the rear area as the Gryffon attacked the pair of vehicles left behind, sending the upright one tumbling into the other and setting them aflame from the damage done to the dust-powered engines.

Cherry peered ahead and saw Mai hanging off the side of the lead truck, her eyes wild and concerned as she looked back. The redhead waved her rifle at her, encouraging her to keep going.

There was a loud _crunch_ of metal, and she looked up, startled, to see the green-glowing Gryffon with its talons sunk into the top of the truck, tearing long furrows into the vehicle. It shot its beak forward, trying to impale Cherry, but she nimbly leapt off of the truck's runner and rolled to the ground.

She heard Augie let out a scream of fear. The truck slowed as he opened the driver's side door and flung himself outside.

The Gryffon immediately took note of his new prey, and launched itself forward, talons spread out to strike.

Cherry gave a defiant shout and brought her rifle up to send dust-infused shells into the chest of the winged Grimm, her semblance lending her an uncanny accuracy, but it seemed to shrug it off to pounce on the hapless teen driver. Augie's scream cut off with a wet noise.

The redheaded huntress circled the green-glowing monster, firing rapidly at its hide and head. It finally seemed to stagger a bit, and she thought that perhaps she might be able to take it down after all.

And that was when the second Grimm dropped from the night sky.

It was almost upon her when it roared, the sonic blast sending her tumbling helplessly and ripping her rifle from her grasp. She climbed shakily to her feet a few moments later, blood streaming from her ears and nose, but neither Grimm had stayed. Instead they pounced on the first truck, ripping into it and starting another fire.

Cherry shook her head to clear the fog from the earlier attack, searching around for her weapon. A scream of rage, barely heard over the ringing in her ears came from up ahead, causing her head to snap back up again.

Her partner was sillouetted by the flames licking up the side of the truck, her greatsword swinging. One Gryffon staggered back, its wing sheared off, while the other drove in from the other side. Mai spun, her sword out low to slice through the second Gryffon's neck, killing it.

Before she could turn again, the first Gryffon darted forward with its beak, snapping the blonde woman in half.

Biting back a scream of her own, Cherry fell to her knees. _Dust damn it all, where is my rifle?_ She had a little bit of time, if the other Gryffon couldn't fly it would have to walk towards her, but she still couldn't find it…

And then she heard a loud _thud_ behind her, shaking the dusty ground. The redheaded huntress slowly turned to view another Gryffon, similar to the rest with pulsing, sickening-green veins glowing under its sparse feathers.

"Of course," she sighed resignedly. "There's a third one."

She didn't really even have the chance to scream as it lunged to clamp its beak over her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doubles round is over! A word on timelines here, I'm really not all that clear on exactly how long the Vytal Festival lasts or for how long the visiting students stay. My estimate here is at least two months during the semester, though in any case as this is forty years after the current RWBY events we could just say they changed things slightly if it should be otherwise. But yes this means that, as their trip has been cut short, the team will only have about six weeks in Vacuo before they return to Vale and its dubious safety.


	10. Underdog

**Volume 1** **  
**

**Shade Academy**

Lustre looked down at the gift in her hands as she sat on the edge of her partner's bunk. She glanced up wonderingly. "This… was an extremely nice surprise."

Her three teammates, all wearing wide grins, stood around in front of her. Pip was in the middle with her arms around both Evie and Beryl, the latter having finally gotten her cast off the day before.

"Consider it a good luck present," the blonde leader laughed lightly. "Since your regular one got a little torn up in the last bout."

The silver-haired girl smiled softly as she looked back down at the white jacket in her hands. Her previous one had indeed been heavily abused when fighting with the very skilled Lilly Azure, though she and Evie had ultimately triumphed in the end. She'd worn it every night this past week, standing in a line out in the arena and waiting for her name to be randomly selected, but this morning Pip had taken it away, supposedly for a quick mend. Instead, tonight she'd been presented with a brand-new jacket.

It was similar in style to her old one, though with a few more ornamental silver buckles along the side. What was most obvious as a new addition, however, was her emblem on the back, a stylized diamond outline done in black.

"It is a tad… ostentatious," she finally smiled. "But I do appreciate the gesture and the gift. When did you have this made?"

"Right after our doubles fight," Evie replied. "Custom order and all that."

"So you like it, right?" Beryl asked a bit anxiously.

Lustre looked back up at them, rose from her seat, and grabbed them all into an uncharacteristic hug. "I do, very much so," she whispered. "Thank you all."

"Well, I got a feeling your time is tonight," Pip interjected confidently. "You ready to go show Remnant what you're made of?"

"No pressure or anything," Evie chuckled.

Lustre stood back and regarded her team fondly. She'd been an only child growing up, slow to make friends and hesitant to talk with strangers, preferring her books and weapons training as an escape from social interaction. But then, a year and a half ago, she'd ended up with this very strange group of girls who wouldn't let her remain in her shell, encouraging her to step out and see the world for the wondrous thing that it was. Fragile, oftentimes, but so very worth protecting. And from that moment on, she was no longer concerned with becoming a huntress just to show what she could do, but rather to defend the innocent of Remnant.

And somewhere along the line, she gained three sisters.

"You do know how much I love you all, correct?" the silver-haired girl murmured, her ice-blue eyes tearing up slightly.

"Aww, don't you start, babe," Pip laughed, pulling her back into the group hug. "Otherwise we'll all be bawling."

"And yeah," Beryl whispered. "We love you too, Lustre."

They stood for a good five minutes like that before Evie cleared her throat. "So, we ready to do this?"

"Indeed," Lustre smiled, stepping back and donning her new jacket over her light blue tank top. "I am as prepared as I ever shall be."

"Then go kick some ass, sweetie," the Cat Faunus grinned.

**Vytal Tournament**   
**Singles Elimination Round**

As she walked down the tunnel towards the gate leading into the arena, the silver-haired girl heard her shouted name. She looked up with a smile and waved slightly to the cheery face that peered down at her from the stands.

"Hey, Lustre!" her classmate Raye Rhosyn called out. "Good luck!"

"Thank you!" she replied with a smile. The other girl's team, IRIS, had made it to the doubles round but had lost that fight. In fact, after the completion of the other single rounds, she was now the sole Beacon student left in contention.

Lustre took her position in line with the remaining combatants. She'd been there for the previous two nights as the line of fighters went from eight down to the four that now remained.

She glanced over at her three potential opponents. All were considerably skilled warriors, and she was looking forward to the opportunity to test herself against them.

The first boy in line, Taupher from Vacuo, was shirtless and wore only loose cotton drawstring pants and sandals, revealing the many tattooed animals across his torso and back. His semblance was the ability to summon the animals to fight at his side, one at a time. It essentially made him a dual-threat as he was deadly enough on his own with his clawed gloves.

Next was a girl from Atlas by the name of Jade. She wore light armor the color of her name and wielded a halberd with an energy blade at the one end, and from what Lustre had seen she was quite proficient with that in combination with her electrical semblance to create massively stunning blows.

Finally was another Vacuo native called Sapphire. The girl wore a similar color scheme as Beryl, but it was a loose, flowing material that seemed incredibly comfortable as well as easy to fight in. To be honest, Lustre was a little jealous of the getup, but it was her fighting style that intrigued her the most. Like herself, she fought with a warstaff, though it was without a gun option and was much more slender. Her semblance was very similar to Lustre's as well, though instead of her speed she possessed a limited time dilation, allowing her to seem as if she were speeding up but in reality she was moving outside the barriers of time. The dark-skinned girl was intensely curious as to how well their two semblances would match up.

The announcer came on to get the crowd hyped up for another fight, though they didn't need much encouragement. The singles fights had been very exciting so far, the best of the best out of all the academies, though one combatant at least had been severely outmatched as he worked much better within a team than he did solo.

Lustre looked on at the screens as they scrolled rapidly, waiting with a sense of calm for what that night might bring.

"Our first combatant for this evening is… Lustre Bijou from Team Pearl of Beacon! And fighting her will be… Sapphire Scath from Team Shadow of Shade! Remaining combatants, please exit the arena!"

She whirled her staff around her torso until she held it in one hand behind her, the other one extended towards her opponent in a guard stance as she regarded Sapphire levelly. Her white-haired opponent smiled and nodded to her, which she returned, before settling into a ready stance with her own staff in both hands.

The announcer counted down, and then the fight was on.

Lustre threw herself forward aggressively, whipping her staff around in a series of strikes as she pushed some of her aura into her semblance. She noted that the other girl had little difficulty in keeping up with her, only suffering a pair of early hits on her legs which did negligible damage to her own aura. Sapphire was able to keep her staff just ahead of her strikes after those pair of hits landed, though Lustre was unable to tell for certain how extensively she was using her semblance.

After a good ten minutes of combat, the pair of girls broke apart. Lustre was panting slightly, internally frustrated that she'd been unable to do anything significant, though outwardly she remained stoic. Sapphire regarded her calmly as she regulated her breathing as well, her dark eyes watching her intently. At some unspoken agreement, the two of them surged forward once more and met at the middle.

It became quickly apparent to Lustre that the other girl had remained on the defensive at the beginning, likely to get the measure of her, but now she went all-out. She was hard-pressed to deflect the blows that were coming in powerful and fast, unfortunately unable to do much of anything offensively. She knew as well that her aura was taking hits, far more than she'd been able to inflict on her opponent.

Another good length of time passed and the pair separated once more. This time the both of them were sucking in great gulps of air from their exertion and they wore a sheen of sweat upon their brows. Now that she no longer had to concentrate on the combat itself, Lustre took a moment to consider what, exactly, she was doing wrong.

She quickly analyzed her opponent's moves, how she was able to stay just a microsecond ahead of her, and the differences between the pair of brief engagements. Lustre's eyes widened slightly as the answer came to her.

_While my semblance speeds me up, my thought process is not altered… Sapphire, however, since she can slow down time for herself, can outthink me, or at least she possesses quicker reflexive thoughts._

With that, she calmed back down and settled on the only course left for her. If she couldn't outthink her opponent, she would simply not think.

She mentally traced the combat routines her parents had instilled upon her when growing up, observing the progressions in her mind's eye until she was satisfied. Sapphire, still in a relaxed but alert pose, raised an eyebrow inquiringly. She gave the white-haired Vacuo native a brief nod in response, and the two of them engaged once more.

This time she blanked her thoughts, throwing every bit of her aura that she could cram into her semblance in order to speed up the combat routine. She even managed to land a few hits, much to the apparent surprise of her opponent.

But in the end, it simply wasn't enough.

Before she'd completed the last set of moves, she knew she'd pushed herself past her endurance level, and while she'd gotten Sapphire into the red, the Vacuo native's next strike was the last as the buzzer sounded.

"And that's the match, as Lustre Bijou drops below the line! Well fought!"

Lustre dropped back and sagged down on one knee wearily, her staff the only thing keeping her from collapsing on the spot. She was startled to see Sapphire plop onto the ground in front of her, white strands of hair plastered to her forehead from the sweat.

"Yeah, what he said," the dark-eyed girl agreed breathlessly. "Well fought. Shit, you almost pulled it out at the end there! You're really good!"

"Not quite good enough," Lustre sighed as she dropped her staff to her side and sat beside her opponent. "It certainly wasn't enough to keep up with your semblance."

"Figured that out, did you?" she smirked.

"Indeed," Lustre nodded amicably. "I was outclassed, but it was an honor to have fought you."

"You too, girl," Sapphire replied, reaching a hand over. They shook briefly before letting their arms drop limply to their sides.

"So," Lustre murmured, staring down at her hands.

"So," Sapphire agreed. "How long do you think it will take for someone to come help us off the arena floor?"

"I am not certain," the silver-haired girl chuckled lightly. "But as I am comfortable where I am, I find myself not caring overmuch."

"Nope. Me neither."

**Vytal Festival**

After their respective teams had finally shown up to help the exhausted combatants, Sapphire and Lustre bid one another a polite farewell, each having earned the other's respect. Lustre wished her luck in her next fight on the tournament ladder.

After that, Teams PERL and TRQS meandered over to the festival grounds where they pitched in to treat Lustre to some supremely spicy food.

"You fought really, really well," Tara commented over her cup of coffee. "Sapphire is, like, the best fighter in the school, and I think you've come the closest to beating her."

Lustre shook her head somberly. "Perhaps, but my loss was a foregone conclusion once I realized the mismatch in our semblances."

"How would you combat something like that?" Beryl wondered idly. "Someone who could not just speed up but slow everyone else down like that…"

"Slowing _her_ down, I suppose," Pip shrugged unconcernedly. She glanced up to see the group staring at her. "What?"

"That's actually kinda brilliant," Beryl murmured.

"How would you go about that, though?" Q added, his brow furrowed.

"I bet Beryl can figure it out," Sunny proclaimed confidently. "She's a genius."

The blue-haired girl chuckled. "No, Sunny, I'm not really…"

Lustre tuned out the pair as Sunny tried to convince Beryl just how smart she actually was, and to just give up and admit to it already. She turned towards Pip with a concerned expression on her face.

"You are not… disappointed in my loss, are you?"

"What?" the blonde exclaimed. "No, no way! Babe, think about it. We're second-year students, in the top two combat-ranked teams in Beacon if we go by how far we made it. So no, how can I be disappointed? We've still got our fourth year to enter again, and we'll kick ass for certain by that point!"

Evie leaned over and gave her a one-armed hug. "Yeah, don't even try to beat yourself up about this…"

"Sapphire did enough of that already," Rufus chuckled, earning him a smack upside the head from Pip as well as a glare from the rest of the group. "Ow! Okay, sorry, too soon I guess…"

"Anyway," the Cat Faunus continued with a roll of her eyes. "We're all very proud of you, sweetie. Okay?"

Lustre nodded gratefully. "I do know this, I just…"

She gave a start as a small pair of arms encircled her from behind. "Sometimes you just need a little reassurance," Beryl murmured, her chin resting on her shoulder.

Lustre smiled softly and reached back to ruffle her partner's short blue hair gently. She hadn't even heard the resolution of her and Sunny's argument. "Thank you, dear. All of you, thank you for your support and love."

"Pfft, like you need to thank us for that," Pip scoffed humorously. "We're a family, babe. It's what we do."

"Seriously, though, you guys did really well in the tournament," Tara said encouragingly. "And like you said, there's always the next tourney. You know we're gonna be there to cheer you on then, too."

"In Mistral?" Q asked skeptically. "I don't think we can take a month off of classes in our senior year just to go to the Vytal Festival…"

"Well, then," Tara grinned impishly. "You've got two years to figure out how to get us into the tournament without being disqualified for your semblance."

The group laughed amicably, and Lustre sat back with another fond smile on her face.

_This has all been so very worth it, if nothing else for the new friends we made here, but also for the strengthening of our team's bond. There is little we cannot face as a group._

**Undisclosed Location**

The shadowed man sat back with his hands steepled in front of his face while watching the replay of the tournament rounds. He'd already picked out several possible candidates for the second phase, as well as likely test subjects for the current phase of experimentation.

His glittering pale green eyes kept pausing over the footage of one team in particular.

He glanced up as the door to his study opened quietly to admit a tall and lean man with ropey muscles that were easily visible under the loose plain white linen shirt and tattered beige shorts, held up by a rope belt and coming down to his knobby knees. He wore cloth wraps around his feet instead of shoes, and more wraps around his forearms and hands that held in place a pair of armguards in the form of wooden splints, though they had several glowing runes embedded in them.

As the gangly man glided forward on silent feet, the elegantly suited man could see the solid black irises glittering intelligently under a mop of blond hair.

"Leech," he greeted him levelly. "Have I not mentioned before the need to knock first?"

"My sincere apologies, My Lord," he replied in a resonant voice so deep it sounded as if coming from the bottom of a well. "You summoned me?"

The man sighed slightly, knowing that his most trusted henchman would not change his ways. Both of them were accustomed to this knowledge, in fact, as well as the knowledge that each was as aware of it as the other. As his right-hand-man, however, he was invaluable to his current operation.

"Yes, I will need you to start up our operation in Vale. We're going to be moving the bulk of our research and development there as soon as it is ready."

"I see." Leech smiled slightly, the action pulling at the gaunt flesh on his face and making him look even more skeletal than he already did. "Will we be shutting down the Vacuo base here?"

"No, not at all," the man replied with a low chuckle from the shadows. "I realize you don't know the full extent of the plan… But suffice to say, we will be keeping our operations running in all the kingdoms." He reached out to tap a few keys to show an image of the Vale facility deep in the forests. "Leave an android guard behind here, as well as a few of the experiments. The rest of those not in cold storage will be tranquilized and relocated. Request Whisper's help in this."

Though his henchman gave no visible reaction to his instructions, the man chuckled again and wagged his finger. "The two of you can get along for the duration of the move. Now go ahead, it's time for a change of scenery."

Leech left without further comment, allowing the man to return his display to again peer at the previous team of four Beacon students who had attracted his attention.

"Team Pearl," he said softly. "Which shall I use you for…? Should I be greedy and utilize you for phase one, or be patient and incorporate young Miss Cerise into phase two?"

He leaned back and laughed softly, the edges of it tinged with just a very small hint of madness.

"Oh, choices, choices…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shortness of the chapter! I had more to put in, but as it turned out it fits much better in the next one, though it may now turn out to be longer than usual… oh, well…
> 
> And welcome to the party, Mr Leech.
> 
> There's likely to be some contention regarding Lustre's attempt to combat the time dilation. The differences to me seem to stem from thought processes. Lustre's don't accelerate with her speed, while Sapphire's would, so my solution was to have her simply keep on the offensive without having to react to her opponent. Dunno if I adequately explained the whole thing, but… yeah, there you go.


	11. Partings

**Volume 1** **  
**

**Shade Academy**   
**Early Friday Morning**

Beryl woke up in a sweat, stifling her shocked gasp as she bolted upright. She clutched the sheets to her skinny chest as she desperately tried to regulate her breathing, all the while listening for any evidence that she'd woken up one of her teammates.

After a few minutes she felt calm enough to lie back down. The blue-haired girl peered at her scroll to note that it was still an hour before they were scheduled to rise.

_Dammit, and it had started out as such a nice dream too…_

She'd been with Evie, and in a very intimate position to boot. The problems started when Evie changed to Sunny, and then kept flickering back and forth between the Cat Faunus and the Fox Faunus. In her dream she couldn't focus on one or the other, even as it neared its erotic conclusion, until it seemed they were both confronting her at the same time. Panicked, Beryl had tried to escape, and managed to wake herself up in the process.

She shook her head morosely. _Normally I'd take care of myself, but… No, not after that confusing mess, I don't even know who I'd be picturing…_

Living in a dorm with three other women, no matter how close to them you might be, led to some interesting obstacles. None of them were strangers to the need to relieve themselves, aside from Lustre, and at some point during their first semester together they had come to the tacit agreement that anything overheard was immediately forgotten as if it had never happened at all.

Well, except for that one night she'd listened to Evie, _that_ had certainly burned its way into her consciousness and subsequent fantasies…

In any case, even though she was fairly certain she was the only one up at this point, Beryl just didn't feel right about it. If anything, she needed a cold shower to calm herself, so she decided to do just that.

Quietly slipping out from between her sheets, the slender and petite girl padded over to her dresser and withdrew her clothes for the day. Covering up a wide yawn, she stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her before flicking the light on and wincing at the sudden brightness.

Beryl dropped her clothes onto the counter before slipping out of her boyish sleep pants and tee shirt, which she considered appropriate considering her boyish proportions.

She stood in the mirror and looked herself over, sighing at the feelings of inadequacies it left her with.

_I just don't get it… Why would Sunny even be interested in me? Enough to pursue me for six weeks straight, even to ask me to the dance tonight? What can someone like her possibly see in… in THIS?_

_And what would someone like Evie ever see in me, either?_

The blue-haired girl shook her head slowly. She'd never really filled out, whether it was due to the start of her combat training at such an early age or the cruel result of her genes. Her father had wanted a son so badly, but when confronted with the fact that he'd been granted a daughter instead, took it in stride with enthusiasm. He vowed to make her a warrior like himself, and she liked to think that she was fulfilling that vow for him.

_Hope you're proud of me Dad… I just wish sometimes that Mom had a little more say in raising me, maybe I'd have just a little more feminine curves, and maybe I'd have a bit of a shot at a normal girl's life…_

Though that could change tonight, couldn't it? Their last night in Vacuo before returning to Vale and becoming once more the tiny, mousey girl with the great big shield who couldn't face a social situation with any sort of grace and without panicking. But here, though, in Vacuo…

She had Sunny. A funny, pretty, and fun girl who, for whatever reason, had set her sights on herself. The orange-haired girl had made no secret about her desire for her.

Could she actually do it?

Beryl chewed her lower lip in thought, staring at her reflection sightlessly. Was it worth it to finally know what it was like to be with someone like that?

Her hands had crept across her stomach as her mind wandered down that path, but she shook herself irritably and turned towards the shower, blasting the cold water and stepping into it. The air was knocked out of her lungs from the shock, but it did the job of cooling her off, and she quickly adjusted the jets towards a more lukewarm temperature.

Leaning against the wall while working her shampoo into her hair, her thoughts wandered back to Sunny once more.

_If she asks again tonight, the last chance I would have with her, what do I say?_

"Hey, are you okay in there, Beryl?" Evie called out through the slightly-cracked doorway.

"Yeah, fine!" she called back, proud of the fact that for once her voice didn't squeak. "Just got up early is all…"

"Huh, well guess we got a big day today, don't we…"

Beryl frowned a bit at the tone of the Cat Faunus' voice. "What, you aren't excited about going dress shopping?"

"Oh, yeah, absolutely," she heard her chuckle somewhat weakly. "Hey, I'll leave you be, Lustre's up next."

"Okay," the blue-haired girl replied, still frowning. _Why is she acting so down? Ohhh… Maybe she's upset about leaving Vacuo early, I know Pip has been in a bit of a funk about it._

Deciding not to worry about it any further, Beryl rinsed herself off so that she might get out and give the others their turn.

**Vacuo**   
**Friday Afternoon**

"You have got to be kidding me," Beryl stated flatly.

"Oh, come _onnn,_ babe!" Pip wheedled. "It'd look great!"

She shook her head adamantly and crossed her arms. "No, Pip."

The blonde held up the skimpy blue dress, looking between it and her petite teammate. "What's wrong with it?" she asked, genuinely confused.

Beryl sighed before taking a few more steps closer so that she wouldn't be easily overheard in the clothing store. "I happen to be missing a few required items to effectively wear that dress," she growled quietly. "Like a bust, for starters. And hips. And an ass."

Pip peered down over Beryl's shoulders. "Well, I think you have a nice ass."

The blue-haired girl swatted at her friend in exasperation. "Stop checking out my nonexistent ass. And I'm sorry, but no, not that dress."

Just then Evie came out of the dressing room. She took a few steps forward gingerly before twirling about. "So, what do you guys think?"

Beryl was at a loss for words. Well, that wasn't entirely true, she had all sorts of words she could use, things like 'stunning' or 'beautiful' or 'incredibly, jaw-droppingly _hot_.' But she wouldn't, or couldn't, use such words in front of Evie. The black dress was backless and sleeveless, tying at her neck and ending above her knees. It flared out slightly at the bottom so that when she twirled she exposed a criminally wonderful expanse of thigh.

"Damn, girl," Pip chuckled. "That looks fantastic!" The blonde casually slipped in front of Beryl, blocking Evie's sight of her so that she might reach over with a finger and close the blue-haired girl's gaping mouth.

She blushed at having been caught ogling so obviously, which made Pip both smirk and wink at her. "Beryl thinks so too, but she's getting a little frustrated with my choices for her."

"Yeah, I can see why," the Cat Faunus laughed. "Did you really expect her to try on that little thing? _So_ not her style."

The blonde turned once again to regard her partner with an upraised eyebrow. "You think you can do better, kitty cat? Be my guest."

"Fine, I will." With a haughty toss of her raven hair, Evie began to stride off, only to hurriedly reverse her course. "After I change back out of this dress," she amended hastily, closing the dressing room door behind her.

Beryl sighed. "Thanks, Pip," she whispered.

"No problem, babe," she replied just as quietly. "You were starting to drool."

"Can you blame me, though?" Beryl hissed irritably.

Pip held up her hands defensively, one of them still holding the skimpy blue dress. "Nope, not at all." She reached over to hang the rejected attire on the return rack before taking hold of Beryl's shoulder and steering her a little further away from the changing rooms. "So, you thought about what you're gonna do tonight?"

"I don't know, Pip," she sighed. "I just… Part of me wants to just go for it, though there's no guarantee she'll even offer-"

Her blonde friend laid a gentle hand over her lips to cut her off before she could start rambling. "One thing at a time. Do you want to be with her? Yes or no."

Beryl sighed behind Pip's hand and nodded somberly.

"Then don't worry about whether or not she asks. I'm pretty damn sure she's gonna, but even if she doesn't, then you bring it up."

The diminutive girl looked at her wide-eyed before reaching up to pull her hand down. "You do remember who you're talking to, right?" she asked incredulously.

Pip laughed and gave her a quick hug. "It'll work out, I promise." She turned to wade back through the racks of dresses, returning to her safari once more.

_It'll work out… Yeah, right, these things never work out for me… Not that it'll even matter, she found the perfect dress for herself right off the bat, as did Lustre and now Evie… I won't even have a dress, maybe I can just get out of the whole-_

"Beryl?" her partner's soft voice called out from behind her. "How do you feel about this one?"

She turned to regard the latest offering, ready to shoot it down as well, but paused consideringly. It was fairly conservative, with a high neckline and sleeves that came down past the elbows. The hemline looked as if it would be several inches past the knee as well, and it had a high waistline that might actually make her look like she had a figure. To top it off, it was the same color as her hair, a brilliant cobalt blue.

"Well, I don't hate it," she said slowly.

"Sweet Mother of Oum, that's the highest praise you've given us so far!" Pip called out from several racks away. "Try it on already!"

Lustre handed her the dress which she hesitantly accepted and headed for an open changing room. Several minutes later she stared at herself in the mirror, not quite sure who it was that she was looking at.

_I look so… grown-up? It's definitely not my usual look, I can count the number of times on one hand that I've ever worn a dress before… And it kinda maybe doesn't look half bad on me…_

She turned and cracked the door open slightly to peer outside. Her three teammates were waiting impatiently for her.

"Well, come on then!" Pip exclaimed.

Beryl sighed heavily before slipping out, her hands clasped behind her.

"Well?" she asked, unable to look up from the ground. "What do you think?"

"Oh, Beryl," she heard Lustre sigh.

The blue-haired girl blinked her eyes at her partner's tone and looked up. Both Pip and Lustre seemed to be tearing up slightly, while Evie simply looked stunned.

"What?' she asked nervously.

"You look really, really good," Pip said with a soft smile.

"Very mature and beautiful," Lustre added.

Evie finally shook herself and smiled. "Yeah, definitely," she agreed. "That's the one."

"Huh." Beryl looked down at herself. "Well, okay, then, I'll get it. Um, do I really need heels?"

Lustre held up a pair of heels that matched the dress perfectly which she'd been concealing behind her back. Beryl groaned in response, causing the other girls to chuckle.

"Relax, babe, they're only half-inch heels," Pip joked. "Even you could pull those off."

"And again, you do realize who you're talking to, right?" she snarked back as she re-entered the changing room. After closing the door, she glanced at herself in the mirror again.

_Yeah… okay, maybe it's not too bad after all…_

The four of them lined up at the counter to pay for their new outfits. Each had found one in their color, Pip's a brilliant scarlet minidress that showed off her long legs and Lustre's a gorgeous white sheath that contrasted sharply with her dusky skin. As they waited for their turn, they watched a news broadcast playing from a screen behind the register.

"...Also in today's news, officials from Shade Academy as well as the Vacuo government have expressed concern with the growing number of missing hunters, teams of both those in training as well as more experienced ones. They have assured the public that they have extended their efforts at finding some trace of the vanished protectors, as well as the several convoys who have mysteriously disappeared as well. Officials have warned Vacuo residents to remain within the borders of the city for the time being until these strange occurrences have been resolved."

"Still no report on the giant Nevermore we faced," Beryl murmured to Pip.

The blonde shook her head. "Nope. I thought maybe the headmaster, at least, would want to hear more after our debrief…"

"In related news," the broadcast continued, "after the successful conclusion of the Vytal Festival Tournament, the governments of Vale, Atlas, and Mistral have requested that their students return back home rather than extend their stay as is typical. No response from the Vacuo government on how this will affect the revenue from the Festival…"

"Maybe it's not such a bad thing we're leaving," Evie whispered.

"Yeah," Beryl said softly.

_Are there more of those… things out there? And where did they come from?_

**Shade Academy**   
**Friday Evening**

Beryl hobbled about the room in her heels, having already donned her dress and accepted the bare minimum of help with makeup from her blonde leader. And speaking of which…

"You know what's absolutely criminal about all of this?" she complained to Pip while grabbing hold of the side of her bunk to keep from toppling over. "As tall as you are, you can still wear two-inch heels flawlessly."

Pip snickered softly while she bent over her dresser, applying her makeup with a careful hand. "I think 'criminal' is a bit harsh…" she murmured.

"How about 'monumentally unfair'?"

"Yeah, okay I can work with that…"

Beryl paced back and forth in front of her bunk irritably, trying to get used to the admittedly short heels. "Stupid lady-stilts," she groused.

"Relax, sweetie," Evie advised from her perch on her bunk. She was running her brush through her hair, having decided to leave her raven tresses flow freely over her shoulders for a change. "You'll be fine. If nothing else, you can kick your shoes off once we get there."

"Thanks, kitty cat," Beryl replied warmly. "How are you doing?"

"Hmm? Me?" The Cat Faunus looked up at her, perplexed. "I'm fine, why?"

"Well, you've just been less… kittenish lately, y'know?" The blue-haired girl looked down at her feet, blushing lightly. "I've noticed you stopped doing your morning pounces after the first week," she continued softly. "Are you… upset about leaving Vacuo?"

Evie was silent for a few moments, but then finally spoke up again quietly. "Yeah, that's probably it. Sorry if I worried you."

"Oh, it's no worry," she reassured her quickly. "Really, I'm too wrapped up in, um… tonight to worry about anything else."

"Right," Evie replied softly. "Well, we should be picked up soon by Turquoise." She raised her voice slightly. "That is, if my date ever gets herself ready?"

"And this is one of the many reasons I do not actually date," Lustre snorted inelegantly as she walked out of the bathroom, her white sheath dress fitting her like a second skin.

"Well, I think it's sweet," Pip commented. "The two of you accompanying each other as friends."

Evie and Lustre shared a quick grin. "That is what family is for, yes?" the silver-haired girl remarked.

"Absolutely," the raven-haired Faunus replied with a small smile.

A knock was heard from their door, and Pip sidled over to open it. "Hey, guys!" she called out cheerfully. "Right on time!"

"Well, look at you ladies," Q smirked as he walked through with Tara on his arm. He wore an actual black tuxedo with a bowtie and cumberbund that matched the color of his girlfriend's dark purple dress. "Stunning, absolutely stunning."

"Is she in a dress?" a voice piped up over their shoulders. "I wanna see her in a dress!"

"Relax, Sunny," Tara chuckled, stepping to the side. "Here you go."

The Fox Faunus skipped into the room and skidded to a halt. Both she and Beryl stared at each other, open-mouthed. Sunny had on a glittering gold dress that looked more like a tank top and skirt combo, though it worked for her, in Beryl's opinion. Her hair was slightly curled and she had gold eyeshadow that swept away from the corners of her amber eyes.

"Wow," Beryl finally squeaked, still somewhat dumbstruck. "You… You look really pretty, Sunny."

The Fox Faunus actually blushed at the compliment. "Y- You look really pretty, too," she stammered.

"Awww," Pip snarked from where she stood with her arm wrapped around Rufus. Her date wore a dark brown suit that actually looked really good with his russet hair. "They're so cute when they grow up, aren't they?"

"Pip," her blue-haired teammate deadpanned. "I will stab you in your sleep."

"And there we go with the death threats already," Lustre sighed good-naturedly. "I believe that is our cue to depart."

"Right, yeah," Evie said, an unreadable expression on her face. "We should go."

"Wait! We need a picture!" Pip declared, pulling out her scroll. "Lemme prop it up on the dresser here, everyone smoosh in!"

"'Smoosh'?" Rufus quipped.

"Shut up, it's a word," the blonde smirked. She set her scroll on the dresser and pressed a couple of icons to get things set up, then bolted back to return to Rufus' embrace. "Okay, Teams Pearl and Turquoise! Say 'Vacuo rocks'!"

The eight friends laughingly obliged. Beryl was aware of Sunny's proximity and her arm around her waist, and decided that she really didn't mind it all that much. In fact, she slipped her own arm around her date, making them both smile even more brilliantly for the photo.

**Shade Academy Main Hall**   
**Friday Evening**

Beryl bent over to retrieve her shoes from where they'd been kicked off as soon as she had walked into the hall. She didn't feel the least bit awkward about it since Sunny spent the entire evening barefoot as well.

_I wonder if that girl even owns any shoes? I've never seen her wear any…_

"Hey, c'mon Blue!" the Fox Faunus called out from the doorway leading to the patio.

"Coming, Sunny," she smiled back.

All in all, she'd had a wonderful time, far more so than she'd ever expected to. She'd actually danced, not just with Sunny but with everyone else from the two teams as well. Evie had been unusually withdrawn, but she wasn't able to focus on that too much as she was concentrating on not making an idiot of herself.

Eventually Sunny had asked if she wanted to go grab some fresh air out on the balcony, and she'd eagerly accepted. Even with as good a time as she'd had, the press of people was beginning to wear on the socially anxious girl. So, with her shoes in hand, she strolled out with her date. Sunny reached out to Beryl's free hand and clasped their fingers together, leading her over to an unoccupied bench.

"So, didya have fun tonight?" Sunny asked, her eyes sparkling.

"I did, yeah," Beryl smiled. "I really, really did. Thanks for that. Um, did you?"

"'Course I did, I was with you!" she laughed in response. The Fox Faunus sobered quickly, giving Beryl's fingers a squeeze before letting go and standing in front of the diminutive girl. "Look, Beryl… I wanna tell you something, and I want you to let me finish before you say anything back, okay?"

"Um… y- yeah, okay," Beryl replied nervously.

Sunny sighed softly, playing with the hem of her gold dress while looking down at her feet. "I kinda get it, you know," she finally murmured. "You're in love with Evie, I can see that."

Beryl practically fell off of the bench in shock. _Am I that obvious to everyone in Remnant?_

"I also see that it's one-sided," Sunny continued softly. "And… And so Iunderstand why you maybe feel awkward with my advances. But I'm just that kinda girl, y'know? I don't make any apologies for being the way I am, if I see someone I like then I just let them know. And I really, really like you, Beryl, and I really, really wanna be with you." She looked up at Beryl then, hope shining in her amber eyes. "Just because you're pining for someone else, doesn't mean you can't have a little fun," she whispered. "I mean, come on, be original, say yes, everyone else says no."

Beryl snorted a laugh at that, but her date wasn't finished yet as she leaned forward. The blue-haired girl's breath caught in her throat at the way Sunny was now looking at her, raw desire pouring from her eyes.

"I want to give you something," the Fox Faunus murmured, her breath lightly brushing against Beryl's face. "I want to give you a present, something to remember me by." With that she slowly leaned the rest of the way forward and pressed her lips against Beryl's.

The petite girl was at first shocked, and then overwhelmed by the sensation. Her nerve endings felt on fire, and without realizing what she was doing she'd pulled Sunny down into her lap, wrapping her small but muscular arms around the orange-haired girl's waist. The kiss eventually deepened as Sunny pushed an inquiring tongue against her lips, and she eagerly complied.

After some indeterminable length of time, they separated, panting lightly for breath.

"Wow," Beryl whispered. "Um, that was some gift."

"Oh, that wasn't the gift, silly," Sunny giggled. "That was just to see if you'd actually be receptive to the real gift. For that, we'd need a lot more privacy."

Beryl swallowed, knowing that she was blushing brightly. This was it, then, but as she'd already made up her mind there was only one thing she really needed cleared up.

"I just want to know one thing first," she whispered hoarsely. "Please."

"Yeah?" the Fox Faunus murmured inquisitively.

"Why me?" Beryl asked desperately. "Why… How can you feel this way about… this?" She swept her hands along her skinny body, trying not to dislodge Sunny's perch on her lap.

Sunny snickered softly. "I'll admit, the first thing that attracted me to you was your hair." She shrugged nonchalantly. "The things that catch my attention can be odd sometimes. But after I actually got to know you? I realized that you are so very beautiful." She pressed her hand against Beryl's sternum, right between her undersized breasts. "Right here. And that makes you so very, very beautiful on the outside as well."

"Oh," Beryl breathed, stunned by the revelation. "Well, okay, then."

"Okay?"

"Um, yeah… okay."

Sunny leapt to her feet excitedly. "Really? You really really mean it?"

Beryl laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, really really. Um, so where should we… go?"

"Not a problem, lemme message my team and let them know I have the room for the next couple of hours!" Sunny pulled out her scroll, almost dropping it in her exuberance.

Smiling, Beryl pulled out her own scroll and sent a quick message to her partner, as she was pretty sure Pip would be otherwise occupied that evening as well.

_With Sunny, possibly overnight, so don't worry about me._

She was about to slip her scroll back into the pocket sewn into the seam of her dress when it immediately vibrated with a response from Lustre.

_Have fun, dear._

With a nervous grin, Beryl stood and allowed Sunny to pull her away and back towards Team Turquoise's dorm room, their hands once again intertwined.

They walked in silence until they walked through the door to the room. Sunny closed it behind them, allowing Beryl to look around.

Two of the beds were pushed up together to form a larger one, obviously shared by Tara and Q. On the other side of the room were beds lined against the near and far walls, their feet pointed towards the middle of the room. The one on the right had a privacy screen surrounding it that depicted scenes from nature, while the other had a bright orange and yellow striped blanket.

"Well," Beryl said, twisting her fingers together anxiously. "Um, I can figure out which one is yours…"

She started slightly when she felt Sunny's hands slip around her waist from behind. "Hey, you don't have to be nervous," the Fox Faunus murmured, placing a gentle kiss against her neck that made her shudder. "We can take it as slow as you like. Just relax and enjoy our time together."

"Y- Yeah, just, um, relax," Beryl replied, swallowing. "S- So, what now?"

"Well, first things first," Sunny stated firmly. She pulled back and turned the blue-haired girl around in her arms until they were facing each other, nose to nose. "No matter what, there's nothing you will do to mess things up, okay?" she continued softly. "We're gonna still be friends afterwards, this is just us having fun."

"Okay," Beryl breathed, feeling the tenseness drop from her shoulders as she nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Grinning, Sunny leaned in for another kiss before pulling back and gently leading the two of them over towards her bed. Her hands moved up Beryl's back to the top of her dress' zipper.

"You still okay?" the orange-haired girl asked.

"Yeah," Beryl smiled back, her own hands pulling Sunny's zipper down. "Actually, I'm good now."

Sunny giggled as she pulled Beryl's dress off slowly. "Oh, you will be," she replied in a low, sultry voice.

Beryl shuddered again as the Fox Faunus’ words sent a thrill of anticipation through her. She pulled down on Sunny’s dress until they were both standing there in their underwear.

The orange-haired girl wasted little time in slowly lowering herself down Beryl’s body, trailing kisses and teasing licks with her small warm tongue.

Beryl moaned softly as she closed her eyes. _Well, this certainly feels amazing so far…_ And then she let out a surprised _yelp_ as Sunny placed a kiss right over her pubic region on top of her underwear.

“Sorry,” the Faunus giggled. “Didn’t mean to startle ya.”

“N- No, it’s okay…” She suddenly couldn’t take her eyes off of the orange-haired girl as she knelt by her feet, gazing up at her with such heated look in her amber eyes.

Beryl sucked in a breath as Sunny gently scraped her fingernails along her sides, until she caught the ends of her panties and began to slowly pull them downwards. She knew her body was trembling, but it didn’t seem to be out of fear or apprehension.

_Oum, this is really, really turning me on…_

After she’d pulled her panties off, Sunny looked down and smiled delightedly. “Oh, how nice,” she purred, sounding more like a Cat Faunus. “You match.”

Blushing brightly, Beryl cleared her throat. “Um, yeah, I- Ahhh!” She threw her head back at the unexpected sensation of Sunny’s tongue darting in to give her clitoris a little flick. The teasing action sent a jolt of electricity coursing through her, and dimly she noted that she was leaking profusely from between her legs now.

Evidently Sunny’s Faunus senses easily picked up on that as well. “Mmm, what a nice reaction,” she murmured, planting another kiss but this time on the skin just above where her pubic hair began.

Shivering with need, Beryl helped her lover to her feet and eagerly mashed their lips together, causing her to moan further. This time Sunny fervently joined in, her own moans making the diminutive girl even more excited, if that were possible. She felt Sunny reach behind her and slowly unhook her bra, and tried to do the same but fumbled with the clasp.

Sunny broke from the kiss with a grin. “It takes some practice, if you’re not doing it on yourself,” she explained softly. She took a step back, unhooking her own bra and letting it fall to the floor along with Beryl’s.

The blue-haired girl stared at Sunny chest avidly. They were round and firm, with pink nipples that almost seemed to fade into the skin until they pebbled up from exposure to the air.

“Wow,” she breathed.

Sunny giggled again. “Thanks, but I was about to say the same about you.”

“Really?” she asked skeptically, looking down at her own far-from-impressive chest. “You know, I have to wear the smallest size they make.”

“Well, that’s just perfect then,” Sunny laughed. “More than a mouthful is too much, don’tcha think?”

Beryl snorted, and then couldn’t help sharing with her laughter, even if she was blushing furiously from the comment and what it entailed. Sunny must have felt the need to expound on her opinion, as she placed a hand on her shoulder to gently push her back on the bed behind her.

“Lemme show you what I mean,” the Faunus girl said with a lusty sigh as she placed a few more kisses around Beryl’s collarbone. Sunny hovered over her chest for a heartbeat, a look of wonderment on her face. “I absolutely adore the color of your nipples,” she finally murmured. “They’re like rubies sitting right there, waiting for me to suck on them.”

“Oum, Sunny,” Beryl gasped. “You keep that up and I’m gonna soak your bed before you even touch me!”

Sunny giggled once more at her comment, and finally lowered her head down, giving one nipple a long, lazy lick. Beryl arched her back, moaning quietly, but the noises from her increased as the orange-haired girl wrapped her lips around the same nipple and sucked on it. She opened her mouth further, drawing the entirety of her breast into her mouth before letting it slide out so that she could once again suck on the nipple, repeating the process several times though she would alternate with swirling her tongue around it.

Beryl could feel it building up in her abdomen, the warm feeling almost like a sneeze, and before she could even identify what was happening she let out a strangled shout. Her entire body tensed, and then she collapsed backwards, breathing heavily.

Sunny’s face peered down at her once she regained her senses. “Hey there,” the Faunus chuckled. “Did you really just orgasm from me sucking on your nipples?”

“Um… Yes?”

“Wow.”

“I guess they’re really sensitive.”

“Mmhmm,” Sunny grinned. “I wonder what other sensitive places I can find…”

“O- Okay,” Beryl stammered, still trying to regain some semblance of coherent thought.

“Or… I could just go right for the sweet spot, now that you’re all wet and ready.”

The blue-haired girl could only squeak wordlessly.

“Yep, I agree,” Sunny smirked. “I’ve waited long enough to taste you.” She ran her nimble fingers along Beryl’s sides as she lowered herself again, this time not stopping at her small breasts but continuing downwards. Beryl stared wide-eyed at the top of her orange head when she stopped, poised right over her most private of areas.

“You ready?” Sunny whispered hungrily.

Beryl could only nod frantically. _Oum, yes I’m ready, I’m about to explode just from the anticipation!_

Sunny lowered her head and ran her tongue along the insides of Beryl’s thighs, causing her to squirm and moan. But then she let out a sharp gasp as Sunny ran her tongue along the length of her opening next, from bottom to top, before lingering around her clit.

“Oh… f- fuck, Sunny… oh, please, don’t stop…”

Eager to please, Sunny continued her ministrations, swirling her tongue around the entire area, even sucking lightly on the extended clitoris. After a few minutes of this, with Beryl’s moans becoming increasingly louder and more desperate, the Fox Faunus paused and looked up along the length of her lover.

“Are you alright with penetration?” she asked, with a look of concern. “I mean, I didn’t ask before-”

“Gods, yes, please just fuck me already!” Beryl almost yelled.

Sunny snickered lightly as she lowered her head once more, but this time she shifted one hand from around her legs where she had been holding the blue-haired girl and bringing it over to just below her mouth. She kept up the attention on Beryl’s clit, alternating between sucking and teasing it with her tongue, while slowly slipping one digit in.

Beryl’s back arched in ecstasy from the intense feeling as Sunny moved her finger in and out, ever so slowly. “S- Sunny, please… har- harder, please, harder…”

The Faunus girl sped up, eventually joining her index finger with her middle one and pumping in and out. Beryl’s juices were running freely down her wrist and coating her chin as she eagerly lapped it up all the while.

“Oh, Sunny, I’m… ahhh, I’m gonna… ahhhhHHHHH!”

Beryl let out a sharp scream as Sunny scraped her clit with her teeth ever so gently. It was enough to send her over the edge, her hands practically tearing the sheets from where they were balled up in them, and her toes curling up tightly.

She came to again after a few minutes, once again eyeing the grinning visage of Sunny perched in her vision, head propped up on one hand. This time, however, she was lazily licking the fingers of her other hand, the action causing another tightness to form in Beryl’s belly.

“Holy fucking shit,” Beryl breathed wonderingly.

Sunny threw her head back and laughed delightedly. “Oh my Oum, that’s the best reaction yet,” she giggled. “So, guess what?”

Beryl raised an eyebrow, unable to vocalize any further at the moment.

“Well,” Sunny began with a gleam in her eyes. “You can now say you’ve been fucked unconscious!”

That set them both off into a snickering, giggling fit. Sunny wrapped her arms around Beryl, holding her in close while Beryl marveled at the euphoric feeling that held fast to her entire body. She bent her head towards her orange-haired lover’s face, but Sunny placed a warning finger on her lips.

“Hey, you know where this mouth has been, right?” she asked with a humorous twinkle in her eyes.

Beryl considered the finger held against her lips, and gave it an experimental lick. “Same place that’s been, I imagine.”

Sunny giggled and slipped the finger into Beryl’s mouth, letting her wrap her tongue around it. “I had no idea you could be so kinky,” she murmured.

“Well,” Beryl replied offhandedly once the digit had been withdrawn, “I figure if I don’t mind the taste so much, well then…”

“Oh!” the Faunus’ eyes widened, and then her grin did as well as she made a small pleased noise in her throat. “So, you want to return the favor, hmm?”

Beryl blushed and glanced away for a moment. “Um, yeah… I was thinking about it, anyways…”

“Well don’t let me stop you,” Sunny purred, leaning in and giving her a long, slow kiss that sent a delicious shudder through Beryl’s body. They pulled apart, a long trail of saliva still attached that made the both of them giggle as they wiped their mouths.

“Just gimme another minute,” Beryl murmured. “Still can’t feel my toes yet.”

“Toes are overrated anyway.”

“Oh, really?”

“Mmhmm. Especially in bed. Well, unless you’re into that sort of thing.”

Beryl snickered. “You really just always say what’s on your mind, don’t you?”

“Pretty much. Like how much I want to feel your lips on my pussy right now.”

The blue-haired girl laughed again, burying her face into the crook of Sunny’s neck. “Well, far be it from me to keep a beautiful girl waiting.”

Beryl moved hesitantly down the length of Sunny’s body, lingering over her full breasts with her mouth wrapped around one nipple and her hand gently massaging the other. Sunny let out soft moans of pleasure which encouraged her to keep going down, placing a trail of nibbles and kisses down her abdomen until she paused, finally getting a good look at the region between Sunny’s legs.

“Oh, wow,” Beryl breathed. “So, um... “

“Yes, I like to keep trimmed,” Sunny giggled. There was only a small patch of orange hair that started above the clit and ended after few inches, exposing her glistening labia before her eyes.

“Damn,” she murmured. “That’s… really cool…”

“If we had more time, I could show you how,” Sunny replied. “Maybe I could message you later with the details?”

“Sure, okay,” Beryl chuckled, amused at how their discussion had meandered over into personal grooming habits in the middle of their intimate moment. “Um, so, I’m just gonna… dive right on in, alright?”

Sunny ran the fingers of one hand through Beryl’s blue hair. “Don’t worry about being gentle,” she said quietly. “I can take whatever you have in mind.”

She gulped. “Oh, um… I don’t really have any idea what I’m doing, other than what you did, sooo…”

“That’s fine,” Sunny giggled. “Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Right,” Beryl nodded, easing her head down. She remembered Sunny’s earlier ministrations, and tried to copy them as best she could. She began by running her tongue along the inside of Sunny’s thighs, grinning at the pleased noises it caused.

_Okay, well… here goes…_

Beryl slowly licked along the length of Sunny’s wet mound. She was pleased to note that the Fox Faunus had a different taste than she herself did, sweeter and less salty. In fact, she found herself enjoying the taste quite a bit, which lent itself to her enthusiasm in continuing her exploration. Sunny’s hand in her hair tightened once she reached her clitoris, giving it a curious pull with her lips.

_So that’s what that looks like… At least now I can see how she could do the things she did. I wonder if…_

She sucked the clit into her mouth, but ran her teeth along it, mindful to keep it as gentle as possible. Sunny let out a loud, shuddering moan, and brought her other hand around to hold Beryl’s head in place.

_Okay, guess she likes that! Now let’s see what I can do with my hand._

She slipped a finger inside Sunny, meeting very little resistance as her lover was already soaking wet. While still running her teeth along her clit, she quickly added a second finger.

“Oh, gods, yes!” Sunny screamed. “Yes, Beryl, fuck me, please, fuck me, oh yes yes yes…”

The Fox Faunus tightened her thighs around Beryl’s face, and she assumed that she was coming close to an orgasm already. She picked the pace up, plunging her fingers in and out as quickly as she could while continuing to play with her clitoris. The blue-haired girl was becoming more and more excited herself, but ignored the temptation to use her other hand to get herself off as it was otherwise occupied holding her up enough to breathe.

Finally Sunny let out a wordless shout as her back arched and every muscle in her body tensed up at once. Beryl had a brief though anxious moment, wondering if she would be smothered, but Sunny collapsed onto the bed again soon enough, a pleased sigh escaping from her lips.

Beryl crawled back up her lover’s body. “So,” she asked a little anxiously. “Um, was it okay?”

“Oh, honey,” Sunny purred, her eyes closed but wearing a wide smile on her face. “That was _fabulous_.”

She giggled, tucking herself into Sunny’s side and cleaning off her fingers much like she saw her lover do earlier. “You know,” she commented nonchalantly. “I really like the taste of you.”

“Oh you do, do you?”

“Mmhmm. It’s yummy.”

The room was filled with Sunny’s tinkling laughter as she pulled Beryl into a tight hug. “Oh, Beryl, thank you so much…” she finally murmured happily.

“Huh? Thank me? Whatever for?”

“For being you, for starters,” Sunny replied, pulling back enough to give her a quick kiss. “And also for agreeing to be with me tonight. This has been… well, I’m never, ever going to forget how special it was.”

“Me neither,” Beryl smiled. “I should be thanking you, though, for making my first time so nice.”

“Just nice, eh?” Sunny smirked.

Beryl rolled her eyes. “Okay, well how about mind-blowing, orgasmic, unbelievably hot…”

The Fox Faunus rolled her hand at her. “Go on, go on…”

Snickering, she leaned in to capture Sunny’s lips in another kiss. “Absolutely wonderful,” she murmured once she pulled back again.

“Good,” Sunny murmured back. “So, then, I have just one question for you…”

“Um, okay…?” Beryl prompted hesitantly.

“Ready for round three?”

Beryl rolled her eyes humorously. “Am I ever,” she giggled.

**Shade Academy**   
**Midnight**

Beryl woke up in the middle of the night, at first somewhat disoriented as to where she was. A quick stock of her situation brought a smile to her face as she remembered her experience before falling asleep in Sunny's warm arms.

_Wow. So that really happened._

She could feel Sunny's naked body pressed up behind her, her arms and fox tail all wrapped securely around her own naked body and under the sheets. But then the other noises from the room made her pause.

She glanced down past the foot of the bed to see the other one at the end of the room already occupied by a slumbering couple. _Oh, I guess they didn't wake us when they got back…_

Her face flushed with the realization that she'd been seen in such a compromising position, naked no less, but she pushed her embarrassment aside. _It's not like everyone didn't already know what we were doing._ And then she heard a pair of light snores coming from the other side of the privacy screen, one of which she was quite familiar with.

Beryl grinned widely. _Seems as if Pip stayed overnight as well._ That seemed to ease her earlier mortification even more, knowing that her team leader and friend was on hand as well.

She sighed and ran her hand along the fluffy tail that was wrapped across her hips.

 _Yeah,_ she decided sleepily. _No regrets._

**Shade Academy**   
**Saturday Morning**

The familiar sound of Pip's alarm from her scroll woke Beryl up once more, though this time there was light filtering in from the window. She heard a muffled curse, a quick apology, and then the alarm was silenced. After another moment, the lanky blonde herself emerged from behind the screen, stretching out and unabashedly displaying her nudity for anyone to see.

"Hey, Beryl," she mumbled as she walked by, scratching at her rear end, towards the bathroom.

"'Morning, Pip," she replied softly.

Beryl felt a stirring from behind her before Sunny propped her chin on her shoulder. "Damn," she breathed, watching Pip walk away.

The blue-haired girl chuckled lightly. "Yeah, you get used to it."

"Really, she does that all the time?" Sunny asked incredulously. "Can I transfer to your team?"

Beryl laughed louder as she playfully swatted the Fox Faunus on the arm that was still encircling her waist. "No. And behave."

"Not gonna happen anytime soon," the orange-haired girl smirked as she nuzzled into Beryl's neck, making her squirm and giggle. "Sooo… How are you feeling this morning?"

"Good," she replied, yawning. "Really, really good."

"No embarrassment?"

"Strangely enough… nope."

"Hmm. Cool. So, wanna go for another round before you leave?"

"Sunny!" the diminutive girl squawked. "Your teammates are in the room!"

"Eh, they won't care."

"I do!"

"Sunny, please behave yourself," Tara called out sleepily.

"Oh, fine, she knows I was teasing. You know that right?"

Beryl smiled and turned so that the fronts of their bodies were pressed together. "You really weren't, were you?" she whispered.

Sunny grinned mischievously, reaching around to cup Beryl's rear. "Nope."

"Well, it's still not happening."

"Yeah, I know… Seriously though, was it… okay?"

"Sunny," she smiled softly, looking into her bright amber eyes. "It was wonderful. Thank you."

"Oh, believe me," the Fox Faunus murmured against her lips. "The pleasure was all mine."

Eventually Pip returned and gave Beryl a friendly swat on the leg to get her moving. Sunny gamely tried to pull her back into bed, though the petite blue-haired girl suspected some of that was just to keep Pip's lean, naked body in view longer. But it wasn't long before they were all dressed and saying their goodbyes, as their airship would be departing for Vale shortly.

"Okay," Pip said briskly as they strode back towards the dorm that had been their home for the last month and a half. "We've got just enough time to grab our bags and head for the landing field."

"I'm glad you told me to pack before the dance," Beryl smiled, her shorter legs pumping to keep up with her lanky friend. "Thanks for that. And… yeah, also for all the other advice. Thanks."

The blonde glanced over at her with a wide smile. "No problem, babe. So, how was it?"

Beryl smiled back blissfully. "Absolutely amazing."

Her team leader threw her head back and laughed loudly, which she happily joined.

"So, what about you and Rufus?" Beryl asked eventually. "Did you two, um… get to… you know…?"

"If you're asking whether or not we had goodbye sex, the answer is yes. In fact, we did so in that very bed."

"What?" Beryl squawked. "But… But… How? When?"

Pip giggled and wrapped her arm around Beryl's shoulders. "Well, as it turns out, Rufus' semblance does more than emit sound waves. He can block them, too. So he made us a little bubble that nobody else could hear outside of, which was a damn good thing too as much as he made me scream…"

"Ahhhlalalala I am not listening to the details!" Beryl stated loudly with her hands over her ears. She shot a glare at her teammate. "I can't believe you had sex while I was in the room!"

"Well _someone_ already had their fun that evening," Pip smirked. "Why else do you think he has a privacy screen up, anyway?"

"I don't know, because it looks pretty?" Beryl sputtered. "That would be the normal reason, not to hide his silent sexytimes from his teammates!"

"Oh whatever, I thought you'd be skipping along after your night. Don't suppose you'd care to share the details?"

"I… Well…" Beryl sighed, though she couldn't contain the wide smile that grew across her face. "She was really patient with me, more than I thought she would be. I kinda followed her lead, and… Yeah. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting."

"Better than?" Pip smirked.

"Oh, yeah," Beryl grinned back. "Loads better."

They walked in companionable silence for awhile until they finally reached the dorm.

"You know," the blue-haired girl remarked. "I'm still irked at you, but I was glad you were there when I woke. Somehow made me feel less awkward about the whole thing."

Pip winked at her cheekily. "Is now a good time to mention how incredibly adorable the two of you looked sleeping next to each other?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, fine, just so long as you didn't- Wait. Pip, did you get a picture of that?"

Her team leader increased the length of her stride without answering.

"Pip! Dammit, lemme see your scroll right now!"

"Don't know what you're talking about, nothing to see here," the blonde sang back merrily.

"I swear to Oum, Pip, I will kneecap you next chance I get!"

"Oh, it must be morning for Team Pearl," Lustre called out from their door, having heard the commotion and gone to look. "Threats of violence before breakfast, per usual."

"Lustre, she's got incriminating pictures," Beryl complained.

The silver-haired girl raised an eyebrow at Pip as she passed.

"Hey, I admit to nothing," the blonde stated with cheerful nonchalance.

Beryl growled, sounding a bit like an angry kitten. "You are such a brat!"

"Guilty as charged!" Pip yelled from inside the room.

Lustre intercepted Beryl and gave her a warm hug. "Did you enjoy yourself last night, at least?" she inquired softly.

"Yeah, I did," Beryl replied, returning the hug. "I really, really did. Thanks."

"Mmhmm. Just so you know, though, our kitty cat is in a bit of a mood this morning. I do believe she is upset to be leaving."

"Yeah, I gathered that earlier…" Beryl gave her partner one last squeeze before pulling back. "How about you, did you have fun at the dance?"

"Surprisingly, yes. Evie is a very talented dancer, as is Rufus, who was kind enough to dance with me as well."

"Guys!" Evie's voice barked out, making Beryl jump. "We need to get going!"

Lustre rolled her eyes humorously. "Come, Beryl, our kitty cat calls and we must obey."

The blue-haired girl snickered to herself as she ran in a grabbed her bags, noting that Evie was indeed acting strangely irritable.

_Well, we can get back to Vale and let things return to normal now, I guess… Though I'm glad I'll have the memories I do to take with me._

**Undisclosed Location**

"My Lord," the scientist called out from the doorway. "You summoned me?"

"Yes, thank you Doctor," the shadowy man replied. "I know you're very busy with the move preparations, but I need you to perform one more piece of research for me."

"Of course, My Lord, anything," the thin, nervous-looking man replied. He scurried forward to stand in front of his employer as patiently as possible while chewing on the end of a stylus.

The elegantly suited man pulled up a picture on his screen, gesturing for Viridian to place his scroll on the desktop to receive the image. It showed a boy, fairly tall-looking with long russet hair tied back into a ponytail. "I need information on this Shade Academy student, particularly his semblance."

"Certainly, My Lord. Will that be all?"

"Yes, yes, go ahead about your duties," he replied, waving at him dismissively.

After Doctor Viridian had left, he watched a video play again with an avid look in his pale green eyes. It showed a pair of girls, one with blue hair that was much shorter than her blonde companion, as they strode side by side. He touched a key to re-enable the audio.

"...semblance does more than emit sound waves. He can block them, too…"

He paused the video and leaned back in his chair.

"Lovely," he purred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was a thing.
> 
> I had a choice to make here. I was seriously considering changing the story rating on Fanfiction.net to M and including some lemons with details on Sunny and Beryl's liaison. But eventually I decided not to derail from the overall tone of the story so far, not did I want to alienate any readers. So instead I went ahead and published the missing details here on AO3 as a companion. Seeing how I've now uploaded this story to AO3 itself, I went ahead and inserted the lemons into the chapter, so nothing has been missed if you're reading it on here. It's been awhile since I actually did any femslash lemon writing, so I apologise if it seems a little rough around the edges.
> 
> Also, just a word on timing. This chapter, as well as the next two, all take place over the course of a single weekend as Team PERL works through a few things. The next one will deal with the fallout from this one, as every action has repercussions of some sort.


	12. Consequences

**Volume 1** **  
**

**En Route to Beacon Academy**   
**Early Saturday Evening**

Evie stared out the side window from her seat on the airbus, her eyes feeling like sandpaper. She wished she'd been able to sleep even for a small amount on their long trip from Vacuo, but her mind had other plans for her, tying her up into frustrated knots.

_Why is this bothering me so much? I should be happy for Beryl, she's a sister to me, and she's happy… all the others are happy… everybody's happy but me, Dust damn it all! Why is that? Why can't I just let this go?_

The Cat Faunus heard a clearing of a throat from further down and closed her eyes wearily. Beryl had been trying for most of the trip to engage her somehow, along with the rest of her team, but the best she could do was to offer monosyllabic answers. Her thoughts were far too scattered and chaotic to engage in any sort of meaningful conversation.

"So, I was thinking," her blue-haired teammate began hesitantly. "What do you guys think of turning our beds into bunk beds?"

"That's an awesome idea!" Pip immediately jumped in excitedly. "It'd give us so much more room!"

"I did enjoy our sleeping arrangement at Vacuo," Lustre commented calmly. She'd been the only one from her team that hadn't pressed Evie after the first few minutes, perhaps picking up on her inner turmoil.

_Maybe I should ask her what's wrong with me, 'cause I'm not getting anywhere on my own here._

"Sooo, what do you think, Evie?" Beryl asked quietly.

The raven-haired girl didn't turn around, but nodded slightly in agreement. "Sure, sounds good."

She noted the sighs from both Beryl and Pip, the former being more disappointed than anything while her blonde partner was evidently becoming more exasperated with her reticence.

"So, how would we go about it?" Lustre interjected before Pip could try and pressure Evie into more unwelcome conversation. The blonde could always manage to dispel her foul moods whenever they overtook her in the past, dragging her into the light when she tried to slink sullenly back into the shadows again, but this time she really didn't want the attention. She just wanted answers.

Answers that didn't seem to be forthcoming, much to her chagrin.

"Well," Beryl began slowly. "We'd need to raise the upper beds a bit, I don't think they're really designed to be that way… Oh! Hey, didn't we read in that one book of yours, Lustre, that Ruby and her team had bunks while at Beacon?"

"That is true, they did," Lustre agreed. "I believe they used rather unconventional and perhaps unstable means, however. Such as books and ropes."

"Oh. Well, we could try using books…"

Lustre snorted softly. "You shall not be using any of my books."

"But…"

"No, dear. Try something else."

"Hrm," the blue-haired girl muttered. "Well, what if… No, that wouldn't… Hey, I got it! We'd need permission, though, since I don't see how we could manage it without making holes…"

"Wait, what?" Pip interjected. "I mean, I'm all for this idea, but if we're gonna be breaking school property…"

"No, not breaking… Okay, so if we got four wood blocks per bunk, same width as the bed posts but, I dunno, maybe half a foot in length? And then we'd need to attach them to the beds themselves, so maybe a long rod, steel or wood or something, through the block…"

"Oh, gotcha, and then just make small holes for the rods in the bed posts!" Pip laughed excitedly. "Yeah, that's brilliant, Beryl! Don't you think so, Evie?"

The Faunus girl sighed. "Yeah, sounds like a plan."

"Evie…"

"No, not right now, Pip. Please." She closed her tired eyes and tried to push as much sincere pleading into her voice as she could.

Her partner sighed softly once more. "Okay, Evie. You know we're all here for you, right? Anytime you wanna talk."

She simply nodded wordlessly and dragged her eyes open once more, sightlessly gazing out the window again.

_Why am I so upset?_

**Beacon Academy**

They finally set down at the landing platform on the edge of Beacon. Just as the landing pads touched, Pip's scroll buzzed.

Her other teammates began to gather their bags together while she read the incoming message with a furrowed brow.

"What's up, Pip?" Beryl asked concernedly.

"Well… It's Headmaster Ozpin, he wants to see us all right away. We can leave our bags in the lobby, he said he'd have them sent to our room."

"That sounds slightly ominous," Lustre murmured. "Are we in trouble, perhaps?"

The blonde looked around at the accusing stares from her other three teammates. "What? It wasn't me this time, I swear!"

Both Beryl and Lustre chuckled slightly, but Evie merely nodded. She couldn't seem to bring herself to care overmuch about what Ozpin wanted to see them about, her brain felt as dull and lifeless as her body at this point.

_I need sleep… Perhaps that's all that's wrong with me at this point, simple exhaustion. If I get a good night's sleep then things will look better in the morning, we can all get back to normal again, put the whole trip behind us…_

She trailed behind the others as they trudged towards the main tower, still bustling with activity as it was right after dinner. The Cat Faunus couldn't bring herself to eat anything on the flight, either, not even with an offering of tilapia, a light and flaky fish that she normally enjoyed.

The team of huntresses-in-training left their bags in a pile against the wall of the lobby before heading over towards the waiting room that housed the elevator leading up to the Headmaster's office. Pip pressed the button, and the doors opened immediately to allow the four of them to file inside.

"Do you suppose we should have changed?" Lustre whispered, looking down at their usual combat attire.

"Nah, you know Oz, he's not a stickler for those kinda things," Pip replied nonchalantly.

Beryl snickered softly. "Oz, huh?"

"Um, I mean, Professor Ozpin. Not that I'm, like, worried that he has surveillance in the elevators or anything," Pip muttered.

"Which I could totally see him doing," Beryl snarked.

Lustre and Beryl had another laugh at Pip's expense as she stared at the floor, blushing. Evie just shook her head, the barest hint of a smile on her lips. It was gone as soon as it formed, though, leaving her feeling emotionally numb once more.

The doors opened into the familiar office of the Headmaster, clockwork gears slowly turning overhead in the ceiling. The gray-haired man himself sat behind his desk, sipping from the ever-present mug of what they always presumed to be coffee, though speculation was rampant among the students as to what it actually contained. Guesses ranged from the mundane, such as hot chocolate with little marshmallows, to the outrageous but somehow fitting, such as the tears of students who failed their examinations.

"Welcome back to Beacon, ladies. Please, take a seat." Ozpin indicated a row of four chairs arrayed in front of his desk. The team solemnly obliged and sat down attentively.

"First, allow me to congratulate you on your performance at the Vytal Festival this year," he began warmly. "Professor Lazuli gave me a report on your exceptional success, and I watched as well. I must say, your accomplishments reflected quite positively upon our school as well as yourselves as a team."

"Thank you, sir," Pip replied politely with a wide smile.

"Now, then, I shall move onto the main business at hand. Miss Cerise and Miss Beryl, your fight against the enhanced Grimm that you found out in the countryside of Vacuo."

Pip and Beryl shared a wide-eyed glance. "Um, yes, sir," the blonde stated hesitantly. "We were under the impression from Headmaster Zaff that it was merely an aberration."

Ozpin nodded amicably. "That may be so, but I happen to believe otherwise. Especially considering the number of students and hunters who disappeared after you slew the monster in question."

Beryl herself nodded eagerly. "That's what we thought, too! I mean, if there are more of those things out there, then we should be hunting them down! Er, sir." The blue-haired girl sat back once more, looking somewhat abashed at her exuberance.

"I feel the same way, Miss Beryl," Ozpin assured her with a gentle smile. "Now, I've read over your report, as well as that from the team that investigated the remains. There was something odd found at the scene, and I was wondering if either of you might have noticed it previously." He tapped a few keys, and a three-dimensional image began to rotate above his desk. It looked to be a somewhat melted lump of metal, twisted about upon itself. "Does this look familiar?"

Both Pip and Beryl shook their heads slowly. "Um, no sir," the blonde voiced. "Was it found where that thing was?"

"Yes… We are still calling it a Nevermore, as it had much of the same features save for those odd, pulsing red veins as you described them. Not to mention the fire-breathing aspect."

"Yeah, let's not forget that," Beryl muttered.

"So, no memory of seeing something like this, either on that rooftop or on the Nevermore itself?" he probed.

"I'm sorry, sir, but no. We were a little occupied with not dying and all, but I think I would have remembered something like that," Pip stated firmly.

Beryl nodded as well. "I got close enough to see down it's beak, and I didn't see anything like that either. Sir."

"Hmm. Pity." Ozpin tapped a key once more and the display disappeared. "Well, then. Anything else you might be able to add?"

He sighed at the negative expressions both girls returned. "Well, if you do happen to recall any other detail not previously mentioned, please do not hesitate to contact me. Otherwise, you are all dismissed. You've earned a good night's sleep in your own beds."

"Thank you, sir," Pip replied as she rose up. "Oh! Before I forget… Would there be a problem if we were to, um, modify our dorm room furniture somewhat?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow curiously, and the blonde hastened to explain what they had in mind to convert their beds into ones that resembled their sleeping arrangements back at Shade Academy.

"I don't see a problem with that, so long as you do so carefully and try not to actually destroy the beds," he replied, a small smile on his face.

"Thank you, sir!" Beryl replied happily.

The four of them turned and headed towards the elevator once more after taking their leave of the Headmaster.

"Oh, and Miss Cerise?"

Pip stopped and turned back again. "Sir?"

"While I do not mind the use of the nickname 'Oz', I would still prefer to be addressed as Professor or Headmaster to my face. Or just Sir, that works as well. At least until you graduate." He smiled pleasantly at her. "Have a good evening."

"Yessir!" Pip squeaked, her face flushed with embarrassment, before she turned and fled into the elevator to join her team.

"Busted," Beryl whispered.

"Shut it," Pip growled half-heartedly.

While Evie was happy to note that Professor Ozpin was taking their encounter seriously, now that the meeting had ended she was once more left to her own thoughts. Standing in close proximity to her teammates made her feel as if she were crawling out of her skin.

_Just get back to the dorm room, get some sleep… That's all I need, just a good night's sleep…_

Their bags were indeed waiting for them in their room, much to the pleasure of Beryl who hadn't been looking forward to dragging her gear up the stairs. Perhaps an hour or so later saw the four of them in their night outfits and prepared for bed. Both Lustre and Evie were on their beds reading from novels, though in the Faunus' case she wasn't really paying attention to hers, merely waiting for the lights to go out so that she might try sleeping.

"Okay, out with it."

Evie looked up, startled, to see Pip flopped at the foot of the bed with a look of concern in her coral eyes and her crimson nightshirt bunched up at her thighs.

"I don't-" she began.

"Save it," the blonde returned firmly. "You've been staring at the same page since you sat down. Something is eating at you, and we want to know what it is so we can help you."

"We're a team, Evie," Beryl said softly from her own bed where she sat in her blue sleep pants and white baggy shirt. She was tugging at the hem of the latter nervously. "I'd like to think we were still more than that… but you're shutting us out."

"We _are_ a family," Lustre interjected. She'd put her book down and stared at Evie with her light blue eyes the color of pale azure diamonds. She shifted her position and adjusted her white kimono sleepwear while doing so. "What bothers you bothers us. So, please, do not allow this to fester any longer."

Evie looked down at her hands, intertwined in her lap. "I… I can't," she whispered despondently.

"Why not?" Pip pressed.

"Because I don't understand it myself," the Cat Faunus replied, her voice barely audible. Beryl shifted from her bed over to Lustre's so that she might still hear her. "Because… Because it has to do with… one of you guys…"

"One of us?" Pip asked in surprise. "Did one of us say something to upset you?"

"No… No, it's not…" Evie sighed and clenched her hands together tightly. "It's… Beryl."

"Me?" Beryl squeaked in surprise. "What did I do?"

"You and Sunny," the Cat Faunus explained further, closing her eyes while letting out an exasperated sigh.

"You're… upset that Beryl and Sunny hooked up?" Pip asked quietly, disbelief lacing her words.

Evie just nodded, her eyes still closed.

"But why?" Beryl murmured. Evie winced at the hurt in her friend's voice.

"I don't know," Evie grumbled, her eyes snapping open as she got up from her bed. She began to pace in her black camisole shirt and sleep shorts, her tail swishing furiously behind her. "I don't get why it bothers me this much! Maybe… Maybe because I'm saving myself, and I feel like… like it should have more meaning than that!"

"You've never said anything like that to me," Pip reminded her gently, though her brow was furrowed in confusion.

"I know, and that makes it even more confusing!" Evie muttered. She made the mistake at glancing over at Lustre's bed, and her heart almost broke at the tears that were forming in Beryl's light bronze eyes. "Beryl…"

"I had a really good time last night," Beryl stated hotly. "Yes, it was just sex, that's all it was. But I was hoping… I really, really thought that my team, my family, would all be happy for me!"

"And… and I want to be!" Evie replied with just as much heat, her voice raised. "I just… I can't!"

"Then, why?" Beryl demanded, angry tears finally running in lines down her cheeks. "Why are you so upset with me about this?"

"It's not you, it's…" Evie ran a frustrated hand through her hair and pulled it out of her ponytail. "I just… It should…"

_It should have been me!_

The Cat Faunus froze while holding Beryl's gaze as all of the blood rushed from her face. _Wait, what? What was that?_

But the flood gate had been released and she could no longer deny to herself what she had been feeling all this time. The painful, all-consuming jealousy of what Beryl and Sunny had together.

_I'm… jealous? Because… Oh, Oum preserve me, I'm in love with Beryl?!_

"Evie?" Lustre murmured worriedly. "Are you well?"

Breathing rapidly, Evie's stare switched between her teammates, all of whom wore the same look of concern, Pip having come around the other beds to stand in the middle of the room. Beryl's tears had stopped and she reached a hand out towards her.

The skittish Cat Faunus took a quick step back, her gaze becoming wild as she sought an escape from their stares, from this room. She glanced out the window at the courtyard outside, just enough light left in the day to allow her to see, and pushed her aura into her semblance, blinking away.

She hit the ground in a stumble, but quickly regained her footing and raced away, her traitorous thoughts pursuing her far more effectively than her teammates ever could.

_No… no, no, no, this can't be right… How can I… and her…? How long…?_

She felt the tears stream down her face, unhindered, as she sought refuge in the falling darkness out by the gardens. Eventually she came to a rest behind a concealing bush and crouched in her bare feet, arms wrapped around her knees and rocking back and forth gently.

_How can I be in love with Beryl? I mean, yes she's a warm, caring person… always protective of all of us, no matter what and no matter who threatens us… She's opened up to us so much since we first met her, letting us see the kind, funny, and sweet person inside… And…_

She stopped rocking and blinked her eyes incredulously as a pair of warm, light bronze eyes materialized in her mind's eye and she truly thought about what Beryl meant to her.

_Oh my Oum… I'm in love with her…_

That set her off into a whole new round of rocking, the pace picking up as her thoughts spiralled out of control.

_But she has Sunny now… And... and there's no possible way she could feel that way about me… Dust damn it, this could ruin us as a team if it gets out! We're all so close, how would they handle things if they find out how I feel and that she doesn't reciprocate?_

_I'd… I'll lose them…_

Sniffling miserably, Evie wiped her eyes with the back of her arm and came to realize she was shivering slightly.

_Brilliant plan, Evelyn, run out into the night in just your skimpy pj's. I'll be lucky if there aren't pictures of me by morning, who knows who saw me… I need to get indoors, but… No, no I can't go back into the dorm, I can't face them all just yet, there will be more questions, and I can't…_

The Cat Faunus stood up from her crouch carefully, extending her enhanced senses out to search for anyone nearby. Satisfied that she was in the clear for the time being, she crept out and considered her choices before settling on the library as it would be closing soon on a Saturday night.

She stood just outside the pool of light cast by the overhead lighting near the library entrance. Once she was satisfied there were no last-minute patrons either entering or exiting, and that she couldn't see any of the staff nearby, she activated her semblance and sent herself into the library itself, just inside the windows.

Crouched once more, her furry ears flickered as she sought out where the occupants of the building were currently. Wasting no more time, Evie raced off and towards her favorite nook that was tucked out of the way, where she might remain unobserved.

_If I hear anyone coming, I can just jump up to the top of the shelf. But they should have already gone through and checked for any patrons remaining. I should be okay._

Eventually she heard the library staff leave, turning off the interior lights and locking up. The Cat Faunus sighed, curling up into a tight ball with her tail wrapped around herself.

 _What am I gonna do?_ she moaned to herself. _What_ can _I do?_

She was trembling again, but this time not from the cold. Her tears fell once more as she contemplated the loss of what she'd built up there at Beacon, at the little family unit she'd made with three of the closest friends she'd ever had in her life.

Finally, exhausted from the emotional ordeal and lack of sleep, she drifted off into a restless slumber, her dreams plagued with loneliness and despair.

**Beacon Library**   
**Midnight**

Evie woke suddenly, startled by the sound of glass breaking. She was up and running towards the source of the disturbance before she was fully awake, her training taking over.

She skidded to a halt next to a rack of books, staring at the red nightshirt-clad figure standing amid the broken glass from the window.

"Pip?" she whispered incredulously.

"There you are!" the blonde girl exclaimed quietly. "Gods, I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Pip… you broke the window!"

"Um, yeah I did… see, the library was closed, and-"

"Pip, you broke into the library!"

"Yes, I did!" Pip hissed back angrily. "Because I've been looking for you all night, and I decided to break into here before I bashed in the door of the classroom building! That was next on my list of felonies for the night!"

"But…" Evie shook her head in astonishment. "What did you even break the window with?"

Pip looked down at the floor sheepishly, toeing a large rock with her bare foot.

"And you're barefoot!" Evie sputtered. "Standing in glass barefoot? What is wrong with you?"

"My aura can handle some stupid glass!" Pip retorted, her voice rising furiously. "And there's nothing wrong with me, what the fuck is wrong with you? Why did you run off?"

"Because… Because I needed to be alone!" Evie yelled back. The two of them crouched suddenly as they heard raised voices approaching.

"Dust… we gotta go!" Pip whispered harshly, grabbing Evie's hand and hauling her out of the library.

Evie pulled back but kept hold of her partner. "Wait… just, hold on." She pushed a decent chunk into her semblance and teleported the two of them across the courtyard and into the shadows. The Faunus girl stumbled slightly from the sudden aura drain, but righted herself and began to head further into the night. "Okay, so… So you found me, now just… go, okay? I'm fine."

Pip continued after her as she strode away. "No, I'm not going anywhere without you."

They rounded the corner of the classroom building before Evie whirled, her eyes glittering dangerously. "Why? Why can't you just leave me alone, huh? I just… I just need to be away from all of you right now!" She turned once again, intent on making good on her desire.

Pip grabbed the raven-haired Faunus by her upper arms, turning her back around. Evie was startled by both the rage in her partner's bloodshot eyes as well as the tears that filled them.

"You don't get to decide that!" the blonde roared angrily. "You can't just run off like that and leave me, us, wondering where you are!" She'd started to tremble and the rage was gone like it'd never been there, replaced by despondent fear as the tears finally escaped down her cheeks. "You're my family, all of you are! You can't… You…"

Evie gasped as Pip pulled her into tight, desperate hug. "Please don't leave me, Evie," the lanky girl sobbed. "Please, please don't… you're all I have…"

The Faunus closed her eyes, her own guilty tears soaking into Pip's nightshirt. She had no idea that under her partner's cheerful, brash exterior lay such insecurity. "Pip…" she whispered. "I promise you, I will never leave you, okay? I'm… I'm sorry I worried you, I just… I had to think for awhile, but I would never, ever leave you… You're my family too, okay?"

"Okay," Pip sniffed, her voice muffled in the Faunus' hair.

They stood like that for some time, just holding each other and giving the comfort that only the very best of friends, close enough to be sisters, can give.

"Now, are you gonna tell me why you ran?" Pip eventually murmured without releasing her hold.

Evie froze, her grip tightening around Pip's waist. "No… Pip, no, I can't…"

"Yes, you can. Please, babe, talk to me. What was it you were going to say? What scared you so badly? Was it Beryl?"

"Yes… I mean, no, it wasn't her that… Well, yes in a way…"

Pip sighed as she reached a hand up to stroke her partners hair, lingering between her Faunus ears to scratch lightly. "You're babbling," she commented.

"Pip… Oh, gods, please don't hate me…"

"Didn't we already go through this?" the blonde laughed gently. "There's nothing you can do to make me hate you. Just say it."

Evie screwed her eyes shut, the tears threatening to spill once more. "It should have been me," she finally moaned disconsolately.

"It… wait, what?"

"I should have been her first, just as she should have been mine," Evie sobbed, unable to hold back. "I'm in love with her, Dust damn it, I think I have been for awhile and just… just never realized it until tonight. Oh, Oum, what am I gonna do, Pip? I can't just… And she already… And you guys…"

"Okay, just stop." Pip leaned back and held her hand over Evie's mouth. The Cat Faunus just nodded miserably, mumbling an apology behind her fingers.

The blonde took another step back and pinched the bridge of her nose with her other hand, the corners of her lips curling into a rueful grin. "I can't do this again," she sighed, much to Evie's confusion.

Finally seeming to make up her mind, Pip nodded and moved her hands to place both of them on her partner's shoulders. "Evie, do you trust me?"

"Yes, absolutely," she declared without hesitation. "With my life."

"Enough to do exactly as I say?"

Evie nodded again, though her brow was furrowed. "What are you-"

Pip moved a hand to place it back over her lips. "Okay. I need you to not say another word and come with me. When we reach our destination, you will follow my orders precisely. Got it?"

The Faunus nodded slowly, still perplexed as to what was going on. But then Pip had her by the hand and was sprinting back across the campus, the Cat Faunus in tow.

She opened her mouth to complain at the pace but remembered that she was told to be silent.

Before long they arrived at their dorm, and Pip dragged her upstairs and back to their room. Evie's eyes widened, and when her team leader looked back at her, she shook her head frantically.

Pip cheerfully ignored her silent protests and thrust her through the opened door, where Beryl and Lustre sat atop the bed that they'd been on previously. Both looked up in confusion.

"Pip, what are you…?" Beryl began, but the blonde held up a hand.

"Okay, I need everyone to be silent, please. Lustre, over on my bed. Beryl, you stay there."

Curious looks were shared between the two of them but they complied. Meanwhile, Pip was dragging the terrified Faunus over to stand in front of Beryl.

"Right. So, spill," Pip ordered.

" _What_?" Evie squeaked.

"You heard me. Tell her."

"No, Pip… Please, don't make me-"

"Evie!" the blonde barked, turning her so that she was forced to look into her coral eyes. "You said you trusted me, right?"

Evie nodded, her vision becoming blurry from the renewed tears.

"Then tell her," Pip murmured with a warm, encouraging smile. "Please."

Evie turned back towards Beryl, trembling uncontrollably. The blue-haired girl looked at Pip, who was moving back to sit beside Lustre, and then towards the Faunus girl in front of her with concern.

"What's wrong?" Beryl asked softly.

The Faunus almost melted on the spot at the caring look in her light bronze eyes. _Okay, may as well get this over with, it's only the end of my life here…_

She sank to her knees, slightly to the side of her petite teammate, and stared down at the floor. Her Faunus ears were flattened against her head and her tail was tucked protectively around her waist. She clenched her hands together nervously, holding them in between her knees to stop their shaking.

"Beryl… I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry about… about everything I said…"

The blue-haired girl moved slightly, her hand extended, but Evie shook her head violently without looking up.

"No, please… let me finish, okay? So... " She took a deep breath and screwed her eyes shut. "I'm in love with you," she finally whispered.

There was a deep, shocked silence from the girl in front of her, while Lustre's gasp was cut off, likely by Pip's hand as she seemed to have a habit of doing so.

"You… what?" Beryl eventually breathed.

Evie nodded miserably. "I didn't realize it until tonight, but… Oum, Beryl, I'm so sorry, all those times I saw you and Sunny together, I was so jealous, and I didn't even know… know that…" She hiccuped as she tried to control her rapid breaths. "I know you have Sunny now, and I'm… I'm happy for you, or at least I really want to be, but… Oh, Beryl, I wish it had b- been me…"

She broke off into sobs, unable to continue. Her head bowed, hanging her tangled curtain of hair in front of her face, blocking it off. _That's it, then, now she'll hate me and never want to-_

Her thoughts blanked as she felt a pair of small but strong arms encircle her shoulders, pulling her into a hug.

"B- Beryl? What…?"

"You are such an idiot," the blue-haired girl choked out. "All this time you had feelings for me, but it took me and Sunny getting together for you to realize it?"

"Um… Y- Yeah, that's pretty much the extent of it…" Evie replied sheepishly. "Why aren't you, um, angry at me?"

"How could I be," Beryl whispered, "when I've loved you for over a year now?"

"Loved…? You mean…?"

"Yes, you beautiful, gorgeous idiot," Beryl giggled, though her voice sounded raw and scratchy. "I'm in love with you as well."

Evie pulled back, her eyes wide and searching as she locked gazes with Beryl. The other girl's eyes were filled with tears of her own, but she wore a wide, happy smile on her face.

She still didn't understand. "But… But Sunny…?"

"I told you," Beryl murmured. "It was just sex. You've always had my heart, kitty cat."

Evie blinked her sapphire blue eyes uncertainly. With a roll of her own eyes, Beryl leaned over from her crouch next to the Faunus and sealed her lips over hers.

_Oh… well, I suppose that settles it, then..._

Those were her last coherent thoughts as she melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms and tail around the diminutive girl and poured all of her love and heart into the action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, and there was much rejoicing! So this was a long time building up towards, but I hope I did it justice. Next chapter will pick up the morning after when the girls actually sit down and talk things through, as well as feature another RWBY cameo. Any guesses as to who it might be?


	13. Relationships

**Volume 1** **  
**

**Beacon Academy**   
**Sunday Morning**

Beryl slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was facing the wall as was her usual, but there was no bunk bed above her. _Right, back at Beacon._

And then she noticed the warm arm draped across her middle, and if the addition of the cat tail draped across her hips weren't a big enough clue as to who was sharing her bed this morning, then the unmistakable lavender scent of Evie's shampoo and conditioner would have been plenty.

_Wow. That really, really happened last night. She said… She loves me. Wow._

A blissful smile spread across her face and she carefully snuggled back further into the embrace. The Cat Faunus didn't wake up, but she did tighten the grip of her arm. She didn't mind that one bit.

"Good morning, Beryl," a soft and lightly accented voice called out quietly.

Normally she'd crane her head backwards to view her partner, but there was a certain black mane of hair blocking the way. The bed jostled very slightly as Lustre settled onto the end of it to circumvent the problem, smiling widely at her.

"Hey, Lustre," the blue-haired girl murmured. "So, I'm not dreaming, right?"

"No, you are certainly not," Lustre laughed lightly. "I would wake her carefully, though, as I am not so sure she meant to fall asleep there. We were all quite exhausted."

"Yeah, I imagine so…" Beryl chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. Evie had spent most of the night roaming campus, as did Pip looking for her. Even though Lustre and herself hadn't left the room, they were still all up quite late.

"In any case, I do believe the two of you have much to converse over," the silver-haired girl commented as she rose. "I shall obtain breakfast and then spend some time in the library. Do message me if you would like me to return."

"Okay, thanks Lustre." Beryl smiled over at her softly. "You're the best, you know?"

Lustre sighed affectionately. "Yes, well… In case you did not hear me say it last night, I am incredibly happy for the both of you."

"Yeah?"

"Most definitely."

"Well, me too."

Lustre gave a little giggle at that and then, after scooping up an armful of books, quietly departed. Beryl noted the soft snores coming from the far side of the room and decided that there would be little short of a Grimm attack that would rouse their team leader anytime soon.

But her partner was right. She and Evie had a lot to discuss this morning.

She shifted slightly so that she was on her back, and the raven-haired girl curled up further onto her, draping both her arm and tail across her, followed by a knee over her shin. In fact…

Beryl grinned widely. "She's purring," she exclaimed to herself in quiet wonderment.

It seemed a shame to disturb such a sight, but they had an opportunity now to talk that really shouldn't be further squandered.

"Evie," she murmured, gently stroking the arm across her chest. "Hey, kitty cat, time to wake up…"

The Cat Faunus made an adorable little noise of discontent, scrunched her nose up, and proceeded to burrow her face into Beryl's neck.

If she wasn't already in love with the girl, her heart definitely would have melted on the spot.

"C'mon, kitty," she goaded, reaching up to scratch behind her Faunus ears. "Wakey wakey."

"Beryl?" a muffled voice asked sleepily.

"Mmhmm. Good morning."

Evie pushed herself up, dislodging Beryl's hand as she stared at her with wide sapphire blue eyes.

"I'm in bed with you," she stated calmly.

"You are," Beryl agreed. "We were pretty tired last night. I behaved, though."

Evie snorted a quiet laugh, which then dissolved into giggles. "Wow," she eventually breathed. "So…"

"Yeah, so. We should talk, huh?"

"We can… Is it okay, though, if we stay like this a little bit longer?"

Beryl smiled widely. "We can stay like this as long as you like, kitty."

"Oh, good." Evie laid her head down onto Beryl's shoulder and took a deep breath before letting it out. "I'm sorry again, by the way. For being such an idiot."

"Well, I think we both have been," Beryl sighed. "Maybe if I hadn't been so… afraid…"

"Then it might not have gone the way it did," Evie reminded her. She looked up at her with a soft smile. "And in case I didn't mention it, also… you are a seriously good kisser."

Beryl blushed brightly and looked over at the wall. "Um, yeah… you too, actually…"

Evie suddenly bolted upright, causing Beryl to jump slightly. "What…?"

"Oh. My. Oum." Evie stared down at her, one hand covering her mouth. She dropped it into her lap, still gazing at Beryl in wonder.

"Did I say something…?"

"You." Evie shook her head, a slow smile forming across her face. "All those times you blushed when we touched, or when I was being cuddly… that wasn't you just being shy around me, was it?"

"Well…" Beryl hemmed. "I mean, it was, in a way…"

"But it was because you liked me."

"Yeah."

"Oh, sweetie…"

"No, it's okay, really," Beryl hastened to reassure her. "I mean, yeah it was… painful at times, but there was no way I could stay away from you."

The raven-haired girl teared up slightly. "You are so sweet," she murmured.

Beryl cleared her throat gently. "Um, so you wanna come lie back down? My side's getting all cold now…"

Evie giggled and laid back down in her original position. "Well, we can't have that, now…"

"So are you okay with, um… having stayed the night with me? I mean, in bed?"

"I think so… yeah, I'm okay with it."

Beryl ran her hand along Evie's arm, while the one wrapped around her back played with her hair. "And… would you maybe wanna do it again?" she asked hesitantly.

The Cat Faunus peered up at her again. "Are we setting rules?"

"Well, I dunno about rules, or… Look, I've never had a girlfriend before, okay? So…" Beryl closed her eyes in exasperation. "I don't really know what to expect, except maybe from books, and they're not the most reliable."

"No, I would think not… Okay." Evie nodded, reaching up to cup Beryl's cheek. "Wanna know what I think?"

The blue-haired girl opened her eyes again to look down at the Faunus. "Please."

"I think… that I really like kissing you. So, I think that should definitely be a part of our… relationship."

"I'm more than good with that."

Evie snickered softly. "And I also really liked waking up in bed with you," she continued. "So… How about we give that a try, too, for now? Maybe see how it works on the school days?"

"I can work with that." Beryl chuckled. "Do you have a bed preference?"

"How about we rotate?"

"Sounds good. What about public stuff, like holding hands?"

"Hmm…" Evie mused, bringing her hand down do that she might entwine her fingers with Beryl's. She stared down at their interlocked hands and smiled softly. "Yeah, I'd like that. Maybe some kissing, too, but just… not like we did last night."

"No, of course not," Beryl assured her. "Like, just a goodbye or hello kiss, nice and brief."

"Yeah…" Evie gaze was drawn upwards and she licked her lips.

"And now you're thinking about kissing me."

"How'd you guess?"

"'Cause I'm thinking the same thing."

"Oh. Well, then, why aren't we kissing already?"

"You have to move up a little first."

"Right! Right, I knew that," Evie laughed lightly, moving up so that their heads were even. She lowered her lips slowly, crushing them against Beryl's in a soft press that steadily increased in pressure. Beryl moaned softly, eagerly opening her lips up so that she might accept more of her girlfriend into her. She caressed her tongue against Evie's, marveling at the velvety texture as well as the incredible feeling of being pinned to her bed under her girlfriend's feminine curves.

Eventually Evie pulled back with a gasp. They stared into each other's eyes, panting lightly as they tried to regain their breath.

"Yeah," Beryl finally grinned. "I can get used to doing that more often."

"Me, too," Evie grinned back. She leaned in for one more quick peck and a rub of her cheek against Beryl's before settling back down again. "Also this. I like this."

Beryl chuckled softly. "How can you even find my bony chest comfortable?"

"It just is."

"Oh, well, alright then. I wouldn't mind changing positions sometimes, though."

"I'll keep it in mind," Evie replied, not making any move in the slightest.

"I do have one very important thing to discuss, though," Beryl mentioned evenly.

"Oh?" Evie rolled her eyes upward to look at her. "And what would that be?"

"Since we're going to try and, um… share a bed..." She was fairly certain she was blushing lightly but it was confirmed by Evie's giggle. "Anyway, we need to decide on who gets to be the big spoon."

The Cat Faunus moved her neck so that she might face her fully. "...Pardon?"

"Big spoon. Like, when sleeping?"

"I know what it is, silly. Is that…" Evie gave an incredulous laugh. "Really, that's one of the important things in a relationship to you?"

"It's not the only thing," Beryl argued, her blush intensifying. "But, yeah, I've thought before of what it would be like to… sleep with you... well, okay, thought about it a lot, actually…"

Evie's grin was stretched across her face by this point, though she seemed unwilling to help her out any with the conversational direction.

Beryl cleared her throat. "So, yeah… I'd like to, maybe… rotate? You know, let me be the big spoon sometimes?"

The Cat Faunus sighed affectionately. "Just out of curiosity, why is it that important to you?"

"Well… I want to be behind you so that… I can… play with your ears."

Evie's face immediately changed into solemnity. "Really? Like… while we're going to sleep?"

Beryl nodded her head wordlessly.

"Well… okay, then." The raven-haired girl grinned again. "I'd like that."

Grinning widely in return, Beryl tightened her hug around her girlfriend. "Okay. So, do you have anything else?"

Evie's face fell once more, this time into something that looked a little more like she was dreading the next topic. "I do… We should also talk about… um… sex."

"Oh," Beryl blinked her eyes. "Okay…"

"I'm just…" Evie sighed, shifting once more so that she wasn't looking up into her eyes anymore. "I know you have already, but I haven't… Not with anyone, I meant what I said before, I really want to save myself… not that I'm not sure about you, but… Look, I've never had a girlfriend, either, I mean a couple boyfriends, yeah… But…"

"Evie…" the blue-haired girl interjected softly. "I don't have any expectations for that."

"You don't?"

"Nope." She reached down to tip Evie's chin up with her finger so that she might see the sincerity in her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. I can be as patient as you need me to be, even if you want to wait till we graduate, or… Actually, do Faunus marry?"

"Of course we do, silly. But mating is something different."

"Right, yeah…" Beryl murmured. "You mentioned that before… I'm sorry that I don't know all that much about it, but… would you be willing to tell me?"

"No, I wouldn't mind at all, sweetie," Evie replied warmly. "Maybe later though, okay? Just… thank you. I mean, yeah I'd like to, you know… But not just yet."

"Told you, kitty cat, I'm not going anywhere."

Evie smiled widely. "I'm so very glad," she murmured. "'Cause I'm not going anywhere, either."

They stared at each other with goofy grins on their faces for a little while, until they were jarred from their reverie by the clearing of a throat.

"So, before the two of you get all hot and heavy," Pip snarked. "I want to show you something."

"Pip!" Beryl squeaked. "How much of that did you overhear?"

"Enough to know that you two are the most adorable couple ever. Now, hush." Pip walked over in her red nightshirt and handed her scroll to the two of them. Beryl took it and held it up so that they might both view it.

"Told you that you'd thank me someday," the blonde called out cheerfully over her shoulder as she walked into the bathroom to start her shower.

Evie and Beryl smiled softly at the picture of the two of them, curled up and facing each other on the bed. It was taken one morning several weeks ago, when Evie was in a kitty mood, and she was playfully kneading Beryl's side as the blue-haired girl scritched in between her Faunus ears. What was notable, however, was the look of pure bliss that was echoed on both of their faces.

"Huh," Beryl murmured. "How about that."

Evie nodded. "Seems I might've felt that way about you longer than I thought."

"Well… I'm glad you did figure it out, and that you told me."

"Me, too."

"Sooo…" Beryl drawled with another grin as she placed Pip's scroll to the side. "Pip's gonna be in the shower for awhile."

"True, very true," Evie grinned in return. "I can think of a way to occupy the time…"

**Beacon Academy**   
**Sunday Afternoon**

The three of them met up with Lustre at lunch. Beryl felt like she was walking on air as she held hands with Evie on their trek towards the cafeteria, and couldn't help but glance down at their entwined fingers every minute or so.

"Gods, the two of you," Pip chuckled. "You're both grinning like a pair of loons, you know that?"

"Don't even try to tell me you're not happy for us," Evie snarked.

The blonde shook her head resolutely. "Nope, I am over the moon for you both. Dust, it was exhausting keeping up with the pair of you. I'm glad it worked out, really."

"Yeah," Beryl sighed happily. "Us, too."

They relinquished their hold in order to retrieve their lunch trays and meals, but once they arrived at their usual table Beryl sat in Pip's usual place at Evie's side and placed her hand on the table in between the two of them. She sent a furtive but inquisitive glance at her girlfriend, who quickly placed her hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze.

Beryl clasped it back, linking her smaller fingers through the Faunus' again and marvelling at the feeling.

_This is so amazing, and I keep feeling like I'm in a dream… If it is, though, I hope I never, ever wake up…_

"There is the happy couple," Lustre smiled as she sat down with her own tray. "I take it the two of you had a productive morning?"

"Definitely," Evie blushed. Beryl couldn't help but do so as well, thinking back to the feel of the Faunus' lips against her own.

Lustre rolled her eyes humorously. "I meant conversationally."

"Oh! Yes!" Evie laughed lightly. "We did that too."

"But it was mostly locking lips," Pip snarked before taking a bite from her sandwich.

Beryl levelled her fork in the blonde's direction. "You are not going to be making fun of us," she declared.

"What? But…"

"No, Pip. Maybe after we're adjusted and all… But not right now," the blue-haired girl stated adamantly.

Pip sighed. "Well, Dust, now I have to find something else to amuse myself over…"

"Wait, what?" Evie squawked. "You're backing down, just like that?"

The blonde shrugged unconcernedly. "Well, yeah. Beryl asked me to."

The diminutive girl in question raised her fork again. "I promise to only use my powers for good," she stated solemnly.

Evie leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I love you," she murmured.

Blushing brightly, Beryl fumbled the fork from her hand but prevented it from falling onto the floor. "Um… yeah, I love you too, Evie," she mumbled.

"What, are you embarrassed?" Pip asked. She quickly raised her hands defensively. "Not teasing, just asking."

"No, not at all, it was just… unexpected."

"Well, then," Evie said quietly as she picked her fork up and cut into her tilapia fillet. "I'll just have to make sure I do that more often."

"Works for me," Beryl chuckled.

Lustre shook her head. "Adorable."

"Ain't they, though?" Pip chuckled. She gave a start as her scroll went off. "Oh, hey… Looks like Professor Lazuli wants to meet with us, if we don't mind… Um, in the training room, about a half hour from now?"

She was met by a chorus of positive responses, so she quickly tapped out a reply stating as such before returning to her own meal.

"Well, eat up, ladies," the blonde stated. "We don't want to keep the man waiting."

They arrived at the training room on time to see Lazuli standing in the middle and conversing with a Faunus male. His long golden tail swished lazily behind him, matching the spiky hair on his head though it had a few shots of silver running through it.

"Ah, girls, good of you to join us!" the professor exclaimed. "Come, come, I have an old associate who very much wants to meet you."

The Faunus turned and gave the four of them a wide smile. "Hey, name's Sun Wukong, hunter extraordinaire. Pleasure to meet you!" He stood confidently with his feet placed apart and arms crossed, though he certainly didn't dress like any hunter they'd come across so far. He had a white vest over his bare chest like many Vacuo natives they'd known, still rather muscular even though he was likely as old as Lazuli. Torn jeans and fingerless black gloves completed the outfit along with black and yellow faded sneakers.

"Um, hello Mr Wukong," Pip replied hesitantly. "I'm Pip Cerise, and this is my team, Evie Black, Beryl, and Lustre Bijou."

Wukong nodded to each of them amicably, but lingered on Lustre. "I was pretty damn impressed with your performance in the finals, kid," he stated. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to meet with you."

"Er, thank you, sir," Lustre replied politely. "If I may, what was the other reason?"

"Well, I wanted to wait for my partner before I got into that… but as usual, he's late…"

"Only fashionably so!" a cheerful voice called out. They turned to see another male walk through the doorway, bright blue hair spiked up on his head, though it was longer than Wukong's. He wore a white dress shirt and black tie under a red jacket with a wide, upturned, black collar and a pair of gray jeans. Black shoes fastened with straps matched the fingerless black gloves on his hands.

He paused as he reached the team of students and flashed them a dazzling smile. "Ladies," he said slickly. "The name's Neptune, Neptune Vasilias." He wagged his eyebrows at Beryl. "I like the hair, gorgeous.

"Um," the blue-haired girl replied. She scooted closer to Evie and clutched at her hand. Her girlfriend levelled a frown at the flamboyant man and tucked Beryl in behind her.

"Yeah…" Pip said, nonplussed. "Um, nice to meet you?"

"Neptune," Wukong admonished. "Stop hitting on the schoolgirls!"

"I'm just being friendly, that's all!" his partner retorted, giving the tall blonde a cheery wink. Pip rolled her coral eyes in response.

"And you're old enough to be their father, if not grandfather!"

"Look, monkey-boy, you dragged me along on this, the least I can do is-"

"Gentlemen," Lazuli interjected mildly. "Perhaps now you can proceed on to the main reason for your visit?"

"Yeah, thanks Atticus," Wukong replied with a friendly grin. He turned towards the girls again as Vasilias walked over to his side.

"So, getting right to the point," the Monkey Faunus began. "I was friends with both Ruby Rose and Blake Belladonna. Pretty close friends, I'd like to think. It wasn't enough to help Ruby after… Well, after we lost Blake. She kinda spiralled downward…" The blonde looked down at the floor, somewhat uncomfortably.

His partner gave him a bump with his shoulder. "C'mon, man, keep it together," he said softly but with a good deal of warmth.

Wukong shot him a brief smile before turning to the others again. "Anyway, I was talking to another old friend, Gwen Darcy, who mentioned she'd had the four of you in class at Shade and spoke with you. I just wanted… Well, how was she towards the end? Was she still, you know…?"

"Driven?" Pip interjected quietly. "Yeah, pretty much, but she opened up to us a little. Showed us the picture of her team and talked about Blake."

"She did?" Wukong asked in surprise. "Wow… guess you guys broke through that shell of hers, huh? Though I suppose I can't be all that surprised…" He eyed the Cat Faunus who was still holding hands with Beryl. "I take it you already know how closely you resemble Blake, right?"

"Yes, sir," Evie replied softly. "I've been told that, and Miss Rose commented on it as well."

The blonde Faunus nodded and looked down at the floor once more, clearing his throat. "Was she in pain?" he asked quietly.

The four girls shared a glance. "I don't think so, sir," Pip replied solemnly. "Perhaps a little bit, but she was mostly in shock, and…"

"She thought I was Blake," Evie whispered, a tear escaping down her cheek. "And I… Well, I tried to ease her some, you know?"

Wukong looked up at them with a grateful smile. "Good. That's good, thank you." He cleared his throat again and stood straighter. "So! On to the second reason for my appearance today at Beacon. I would very much like to spar with you, Miss Bijou."

"Me?" Lustre squeaked with uncharacteristic nervousness.

"Yep, you." The Monkey Faunus smirked. He reached behind him and withdrew a red rod with gold banding. With a flick of his wrist it expanded into a long staff. "I'd like to see what you got, kid."

Pip turned towards her teammate with a grin. "Go get 'im, babe," she murmured confidently.

"Very well," Lustre nodded, walking off towards the locker room. The other three girls, along with Lazuli and Vasilias, headed over to stand against the wall and out of the way.

"So, Miss Beryl and Miss Black," Lazuli murmured. "Do I correctly note that the relationship between the two of you has changed?"

"Um, yessir," Beryl replied with a hesitant smile and glancing down at their still-entwined fingers.

"Excellent," the professor replied with a smile before turning forward again. Evie let out a small giggle and gave Beryl a quick kiss on the cheek, which she quickly stood up on her tiptoes to reciprocate.

Lustre made her way back into the room, _Winter Contus_ held behind her at the ready. "Any rules, sir?"

"Nope," the blonde hunter replied levelly. "Just show me what you can do."

The silver-haired girl nodded calmly, and without further ado shot forward and launched into an attack. The blonde hunter seemed surprised at her speed at first, but then his confident grin returned as he met her spins and whirls with those of his own. Beryl noted that while Lustre's movements were fluid, like a dance, Wukong was deliberate yet smooth in his own actions, attacking with force before effortlessly returning onto the defense once more.

They circled each other, Lustre's speed allowing her a slight edge, though the veteran hunter would also throw in an occasional kick or punch to keep her off-balance. After one such moment, where she had to leap back slightly to avoid his low spin-kick, his grin became feral as he twisted the staff in his hands.

Beryl's eyes widened as Wukong's staff separated into four parts, two sets of linked rods. As he spun onto the offense, the sounds of gunfire filled the chamber as each rod, in actuality shotgun nunchucks, was triggered in an unending salvo. Lustre spun her staff desperately but was only able to block half of them, and her aura quickly dipped into the red.

"Match!" Lazuli called out loudly. The combatants pulled apart, breathing heavily, and giving each other respectful nods.

"Not bad, kid," Wukong chuckled. "Not bad at all. I think there's some staffwork I can teach you still. No time today, but I'll be passing through in another month or so. You interested?"

"Yes, sir!" Lustre replied eagerly. "I would be honored!"

The blonde hunter nodded genially. "I think you got what it takes to go far, kid. Just keep learning and improving, alright?"

Lustre nodded back. "Keep moving forward," she stated softly.

Wukong had turned to head towards the exit, but he stopped, his head whipping back around. "What was that you said?" he whispered.

"Er… Keep moving forward. Miss Rose told us that, and we have, well… more or less adopted it as our team motto."

Wukong nodded once more with a thoughtful smile. "Always making an impact, no matter where you went, Ruby…" he murmured. "Thank you again, Miss Bijou." Turning to face the others as they walked down on the floor, he gave them an easy smile. "And the rest of you as well, it's been a pleasure. Atticus, I'll talk to you later, yeah?"

"Of course, Sun. You and Neptune take care of yourselves."

"Always do," the blue-haired hunter replied cheekily. "Gotta stay looking good for the ladies."

"Neptune…" Wukong sighed, grabbing him by the elbow. "Let's get you out of here before Oz comes down on our asses for harassment…"

Lazuli gave the four girls a nod and a brief word of thanks before he headed back towards his office situated at the far side of the training area.

"Well," Pip stated. "That was interesting."

"It certainly was at that," Lustre murmured. "I did appreciate the opportunity to spar with Mr Wukong, and even more so the opportunity to train with him."

"Yep, guess he really saw something special in you," the blonde replied. "'Course, we all do, but it's nice to see others doing the same."

"Flatterer," Lustre snorted softly. "So, what shall we do with the rest of the day?"

"Well," Beryl interjected, finally able to voice the idea that had been knocking around inside her head for awhile. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to take my girlfriend into town for dinner."

Evie turned to her with a pleased smile on her face. "Really? Like, a date?"

"Exactly like a date. If that's okay?"

The Cat Faunus nodded with a giggle. "Um, yeah, that'd be… Yeah, definitely. Um… I'm just gonna go run up to the room, okay? Get ready?"

Beryl stood up on her tiptoes to give her a brief but warm kiss. "I'll come pick you up in a little bit," she murmured eagerly.

"Okay," Evie giggled again, backing away and unable to keep the grin off of her face. "So, I'm just gonna go then…"

Lustre sighed in amusement and rolled her eyes. "I shall accompany you and make sure you do not get lost," she stated amicably, taking the giggling Faunus by the arm and leading her away.

Pip chuckled as she wrapped her arm around Beryl's shoulders. "Well, I was gonna take you aside at some point and ask if you wanted any dating tips, but seems like you're off to a good start."

"I hope so," Beryl replied. "Some of the things I read about aren't all that bad…"

"Oh, babe, are you seriously going off of what you've read in those trashy romance novels?"

"They're not all trashy…"

"No, definitely not, but I've seen some of the ones you try to hide from view."

"Really, Pip?"

The blonde sniffed regally as the pair of them walked down the corridor. "I only have the best interests of my team in mind."

"Right," Beryl snorted. "And that justifies your snooping."

"Nah, that's just a fringe benefit."

"Speaking of which, I tried looking for that picture of me and Sunny to delete off of your scroll and didn't see it."

"Yeah, figured you might. It's hidden."

"And again, really, Pip? Really?"

"Never know when it might come in handy, babe."

"I swear to Oum, if Evie ever sees it…"

Pip stopped and pulled her teammate around so that she might peer down at her, coral eyes intense. "Listen to me, Beryl. I swear to you by all that is good in this land, I will never, ever do anything to the detriment of your relationship with Evie, okay? I love you both far too much to ever see you unhappy."

"Okay, Pip," Beryl replied warmly. "Thanks."

They resumed their aimless and companionable down the Beacon hallways.

"So then, can I have that picture deleted?" Beryl finally asked.

"Nope. It makes me giggle."

"You are such a brat."

"No argument there, babe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, cute couple advancement. So this was sorta just a filler chapter to bring the whole relationship arc to a close. Next one will take place a bit later and we'll see what some of the other players have been up to.


	14. Meetings

**Volume 2** **  
**

**Undisclosed Location in Vale**

Damian tapped the side of his leg impatiently. Even after all this time, the meticulous planning to get him to where he was at this point and the exquisite details he had to attend to in order to keep him there, he still detested waiting.

"You're fidgeting," his sister commented mildly.

He let out a soft, dignified snort of humor, but quickly ceased his movement. "I am merely anxious," he reminded her.

"Big brother of mine, you can face down the wardroom of a company in a hostile takeover, yet one man causes you such nervousness?"

"Anxious, Frost," he corrected her. "Not nervous."

His younger sister snorted in much the same way as he had earlier. "If you say so," she smirked affectionately. "But just so you know, I've got your back."

"And you always do," he murmured with a gentle smile. "I do appreciate it, Frost."

"Well of course, Damian," she said with a shrug. "That's what a bodyguard is for, after all."

"True, but you could have taken any number of huntress jobs right after graduating from the Academy," he mentioned, turning to gaze back out the window of the corporate Bulldog air transport. "You didn't have to join me."

"Of course I did," she replied with just the barest hint of reproach. "You're not just family, you're my brother, and you needed me."

"I suppose I did," he sighed. As he stared at the reflection of his face in the window, he couldn't fail to note the brief glimpse of a cold, calculating look in his pale blue eyes, one which he carefully wiped away before turning back to her with a warm smile. "And as I have said, I appreciate it."

Frost waved away his gratitude as she always did, recrossing her legs and minisculely bouncing the toes of her boot-clad foot in the air. "So, you're still not going to give me the details on this meeting with your new partner?"

"You'll see soon enough," he replied with a smirk. "We're almost there."

Indeed, the Bulldog had begun its descent below the treeline, the dark shapes of the forest flashing by in the midmorning light. Before too long it arrived in a clearing that seemed otherwise deserted and settled down smoothly before powering the dust-powered jets off.

"This is the place?" Frost asked skeptically as she rose from her seat. She tugged her white miniskirt down and adjusted the abbreviated short-sleeved jacket she wore over her tube top. "Seems deserted."

"The pilots know how to follow the beacons," Damian explained, adjusting his own silken suit. He glanced at his sister with affection. Anyone seeing the two together could tell that they were siblings, not just because of their hereditary eye and hair color, but also their demeanor. They carried the bearing of nobility, it was simply a part of them, nature and nurture alike.

The side hatch of the Bulldog opened to reveal a short girl, under five feet, wearing a black petticoat with purple highlights that were visible from the gentle breeze drifting through the clearing. She also wore a black long-sleeved jacket, low-cut with no shirt underneath, and a dark purple sash around her waist. Black heeled ankle boots sparkled from the amethyst jewels on the sides that matched the numerous bracelets and necklaces she wore as well. Her dark purple hair was done up into an intricate bun and held in place by black lacquered chopsticks.

"Welcome," the petite girl began with a smooth bow, her light amethyst eyes twinkling. "My name is Whisper, and it will be my pleasure to conduct you to my master."

She smiled brilliantly at the duo. "Won't you please accompany me, Mr and Ms Schnee?"

**City of Vale**   
**Saturday Afternoon**

Pip leaned back in her chair and glanced around the quaint little cafe her team had chosen for their rendezvous. They'd come to spend the day in Vale for some shopping and well-deserved relaxation after a rough week of classes. The lanky blonde team leader had wandered for a bit, visiting her favorite weapons shop to see what new upgrades were in, as well as a boutique that catered to those who appreciated fine body care products.

She smiled to herself as she reflected on her shopping history that day. _What can I say, I'm a complicated person._

"Did you have a good morning?" a lightly accented voice called out from behind her.

Pip twisted in her chair to grin at Lustre as her teammate walked around to sit at the table. "I did, yeah. Got me the latest 'Guns n' Dust' catalog, and some sweet new soaps. You?"

The silver-haired girl hefted her bag before settling it under her seat. "I found several new volumes in a series I have been reading," she replied, her pale blue eyes twinkling merrily. "It was a very productive time."

"Oh, babe," Pip sighed mournfully. "That was the extent of your shopping? Books?"

Lustre blinked her eyes uncertainly. "Er… yes?"

"We have so got to take you clothes shopping sometime," the blonde stated, shaking her head. "When was the last you did that?"

"Why would I need to shop for clothes? I have school uniforms and my combat outfit. I require nothing else."

Pip leaned forward and gently banged her head against the table.

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic, blondie," another voice snarked. "Not everyone shares your taste."

"And I shall convert you all yet to the finer side of things," Pip declared, lifting her head back up to regard the other half of her team. Evie and Beryl stood next to the table, their arms wrapped around each other comfortably and with blissful grins on their faces. "Just because I have no money doesn't mean I can't appreciate elegance, as should you all."

"Pfft," the blue-haired girl scoffed as she plopped down on a chair next to the one Evie took. She nonchalantly placed her hand on top of her girlfriend's thigh, which was quickly covered by the raven-haired girl's hand and squeezed affectionately. "I appreciate the finer things just fine."

"Really?" the Cat Faunus asked, her eyebrows raised. "Like what?"

"Well, I have you," Beryl smirked.

"Oh my Oum, you guys," Pip groaned as the couple gave each other a look that was becoming far more commonplace than she'd like to admit. "Have you two lovebirds been like this all day?"

"Yep, pretty much," Evie admitted without taking her eyes off of the blue-haired girl.

"Were you expecting otherwise?" Lustre inquired mildly.

Pip shook her head and grinned. "No, I suppose not. You guys gonna make out already, or do you wanna order something?"

"Hmm," Beryl pondered, the barest hint of a grin showing. "What if I'm hungry for both?"

Evie laughed, swishing her tail around to bop her girlfriend lightly on the nose. "You, my dear Beryl, are incorrigible."

"True enough," Beryl smirked. "But, yeah, I suppose we should order something now. Plenty of time for making out later."

The blonde girl shook her head in amusement as she flagged down a waiter. These two girls, her best friends and sisters in all but blood, had finally admitted their feelings for each other a week ago. Since then, they'd been inseparable, but Pip was overjoyed not just by their happiness but at the changes it wrought in each of them. The Cat Faunus hadn't been irritable at all, even towards some of the louder students that would normally set her off in the classroom. For her part, Beryl was more confident and outgoing, showing little of her usual social anxiety.

For all that, she could put up with a little bit of sickeningly sweet interaction.

The small group ordered a light lunch, along with drinks, and had just begun to talk about the stores that they'd visited when a loud, booming voice rang out through the cafe.

"RADIANCE BERYL!"

"Oh, Grimmshit," Beryl moaned before leaping to her feet. Approaching the table was a giant of a man, with a black bushy beard that matched the wild hair and shaggy eyebrows. He easily stood seven and a half feet tall, and his outfit seemed to match his demeanor, with a large black overcoat over matching black shirt and trousers. His bootsteps seemed to rattle the window pane as he approached.

Pip and the others quickly leapt to their feet, hands on their weapons. "Beryl…?" the blonde murmured inquiringly.

The blue-haired girl in question sighed resignedly and pushed her way forward, just in time to be wrapped up and lifted off her feet in a bone-crushing bear hug.

"Hi, Dad," she squeaked from somewhere within the confines of his chest.

The other three gazed at each other incredulously. "Dad?" Pip mouthed in surprise.

And then Evie's eyes got wide and panicked.

_Oh, Dust, she's about to meet her girlfriend's father, and he looks like he could wrestle an Ursa bare-handed…_

She tried to shoot her partner a reassuring look, but only had the chance to open her mouth before the towering man barked out a loud laugh.

"Ah, it's great to see you, Radiance! Is this your team, here?" The others could now see a large black round shield poking out from behind his back, perhaps the same size as Beryl's but on his arm it would likely function more as a buckler, as well as the hilt of an enormous sword strapped under it and poking up over his shoulder.

Beryl had finally regained her feet and stood, swaying slightly. "Um, yeah, Dad, they are," she murmured sheepishly.

Pip took the chance to step forward and offer him her hand. "Hello, sir, I'm Pip Cerise, Beryl's team leader."

Her calloused hand was swallowed whole by the man's meaty paw. "Wonderful!" he chuckled heartedly. "My name is Corvid Beryl, and I thank you, Miss Cerise, for taking my little girl under your wing! She's told us a great deal about you all!"

Lustre spoke up next, carefully remaining out of handshake range. "A pleasure to meet you, sir. I am Lustre Bijou."

"Ah, yes, I saw your final round at the Vytal Festival! A most admirable attempt, I'm glad someone with such skill is partners with Radiance!"

Pip noted with some amusement that Beryl winced slightly every time her father used her hated first name.

Corvid looked over at Evie who was hanging by the back of the group, as if afraid to approach the great bear of a man. "So now, are you a member of Radiance's team as well?"

Evie clasped her hands behind her back, unusually nervous. "Um, well… that is…"

Beryl stepped over to wrap her arm around the Cat Faunus' waist. "Yeah, Dad, this is my girlfriend, Evie Black."

"Girlfriend?" Corvid's shaggy brows rose up to disappear behind his hairline, only to thunderously descend once more. "And what are your intentions towards my daughter?" he growled, seemingly looming over Evie and blocking out all the light.

" _Eep_ ," the Faunus girl squeaked in reply, visibly wilting.

"Dad!" Beryl shouted, pushing her girlfriend behind her. "Stop it!"

"I'm allowed to-"

"No, you're not! We've been going out for only a week for Oum's sake, don't you dare scare her like that!"

"I want to know she's gonna treat my little girl right!"

"She is, Dust damn it!"

"Radiance Beryl, you will watch your language around me or so help me-"

"Dad!" Beryl barked, her hands on her hips and glaring up at the mountainous man. "Do I need to get Mom on the scroll?"

The pair of them stared daggers at each other while the other three members of the team looked on warily. Evie was ready to bolt at any second but was torn by her desire to stand by Beryl, while both Pip and Lustre seemed poised to intervene, suicidal as it may appear.

After almost a full minute, Corvis threw his head back and laughed, a booming sound that practically shook the rafters and caused all of the girls to jump slightly. "Oh, Oum, it's good to see you again, Peanut!"

"You too, Dad," the blue-haired girl replied sheepishly, allowing herself to become engulfed into another hug, fortunately remaining on her feet this time.

Evie had a look of relief on her face, and was beginning to edge away from the two when she was caught by a massive paw. "As for you, Miss Evie Black, if you're dating my daughter then you get the Papa Beryl treatment as well!"

The Cat Faunus let out a startled _mewl_ as her escape was halted and she was pulled into the hug. "Th- Thank you?" she stammered uncertainly.

Once the two girls were released and able to breathe again, they turned to note the expression of merriment on Pip's face.

" _Peanut_?" the blonde smirked widely.

Beryl rolled her eyes, but her father decided to expound on the nickname.

"It's because when she was a baby, she was such a tiny little thing! Just like an adorable little peanut!"

" _Daaad_ ," Beryl groaned over her teammates' laughter.

"Oh, come on now, you used to love it when I called you that!"

"Seriously, Dad, you're killing me here. Can you _not_ embarrass me in front of my friends all to Vacuo and back?"

"Oh, fine," the large man rumbled. "Still, the stories I could tell…"

"No, Dad."

"Wait," Pip snickered. "I wouldn't mind hearing-"

"One more word, Pip," the blue-haired girl warned irritably, "and you shall become intimately acquainted with your own intestines."

Pip screwed up her face thoughtfully. "Aren't I already, though? I mean, they're inside me…"

"Blondie..." Evie said in a quiet but threatening voice.

"Wow, okay, guess it's gang up on Pip day," she snarked, raising her hands in surrender.

Lustre sidled up to Evie smoothly. "Ten lien says Beryl threatens Pip with bodily dismemberment before we leave," she murmured.

"You're on," Evie smirked. "She knows when to back off."

The silver-haired girl shot her an incredulous look. "This is Pip we are speaking of, correct?"

"True. I'll still take the bet, though."

"You know I'm right here and can hear every word, right?" Pip deadpanned.

The other two girls just beamed an innocent smile at her.

"So, Peanut," Corvis interjected. "I'm glad I no longer need to worry about you getting pregnant now, eh?"

" _Oh my Oum,_ Dad!" Beryl squawked, her hands flying up to cover her face which was once again beet red. "Please, _stop_!"

"Well, I suppose you still should be concerned about protection and all," he mused in a low rumble as if he hadn't heard her. "Or do you? Miss Black, what do you-"

"Emergency change of subject!" Beryl shouted. She shot a glare at both Pip and Lustre who were now leaning against each other for support, tears of mirth streaming down their faces, while Evie was blushing just as brightly. "Why are you in Vale, Dad?"

"Well, Oz asked me to look into a few things," he rumbled absently. "Some such nonsense about mutant Grimm…"

"Wait, like fire-breathing Nevermores?" Beryl asked eagerly, her earlier embarrassment forgotten.

"Yeah, how do you… Ohhh, I see, so it was you lot who tangled with that beastie back in Vacuo, eh?" Corvis chuckled, his entire body shaking mirthfully. "Should have known my little Radiance was in the thick of things, just like a true Beryl, eh?"

"Here, why don't you have a seat, Mr Beryl?" Pip asked solicitously, pulling up another chair for him.

"Yes, we would love to hear more of your thoughts on this matter, being such an experienced and powerful hunter," Lustre commented evenly. Pip had to hide a grin behind her hand as she sat down. _Very smooth, babe, very smooth. Maybe we'll finally get somewhere on this..._

"Thank you girls, thank you. Now, where was I… Right! Oz said there's been reports of these new Grimm right here in Vale, of all places! Can you believe it?"

The four girls all exchanged wary glances as Beryl's father continued. "No other giant glowing Nevermores, but there are stories of Gryffons that also glow, these ones in green though. Strangest thing, glowing Grimm… Ah, well, I'll believe it when I see it. Ha! But you lot, you really did take down a fire-breathing Nevermore, eh?"

"Yeah, we did, Dad, me and Pip," Beryl assured him. She launched into the tale of their encounter, while the blonde sat back and pondered what Corvis had revealed.

_So they're spreading? I wonder if they originated from the middle of the continent maybe? And how long before we start hearing of more missing teams?_

_How safe is it for any of us out there anymore?_

Lustre leaned over towards her as Beryl expounded on her insane plan of the makeshift dust chamber grenade. "You are thinking quite loudly," she commented.

"If it's in my head, it can't be loud," she quipped back.

"You know what I mean," the silver-haired girl grumbled. "Are you concerned about more of these enhanced Grimm in our region now?"

"Yeah, I am… Lustre, I've never been so scared in my entire life as when I faced that… thing."

"Is that so?" Corvis interjected while turning to the two of them, obviously having overheard Pip's conversation as well as the end of Beryl's tale. "It sounds as if you dealt with it well enough, though."

"Sir, so far as we know, there were a lot of other teams that went missing in Vacuo," Pip began slowly. "Students and Hunters alike. If that starts happening here…"

Beryl nodded. "Dad, maybe I wasn't clear in this, but we just barely escaped with our lives. And we've fought literal hordes of Grimm before, but nothing like this."

"We're lucky to be alive," Pip agreed.

Corvis sat back and stroked his bushy beard thoughtfully. "Well, then," he finally mused. "That certainly gives me much to think about… Now I'm even more glad to have caught up with you, Peanut."

" _Dad_ ," Beryl groaned quietly.

"I think I'm going to go have another talk with old Oz before I head out into the wilderness," he continued as if he hadn't heard his daughter. He glanced up as the team's lunch arrived. "Ah! It seems your food is here, I will take my leave of you then. A great pleasure to have met you all!"

Corvis stood up once more, towering over the table. "Radiance, come give your old man another hug!"

"Yes, Dad," the diminutive girl sighed affectionately. Pip very carefully did not listen to their murmured endearments, as she did not wish to embarrass Beryl further.

"And you, Miss Black! You keep treating my little girl right, you hear me?"

Evie nodded quickly. "Y- Yes, sir!" she stuttered.

"Good girl. I expect to see you over the break sometime, come meet the missus. Oh, before I go… Miss Cerise, might I have a word with you?"

Pip clambered to her feet uncertainly. "Um, yes, sir!"

She followed him out and into the street where he paused, looking up at the cloudless sky.

"I wanted to thank you," he rumbled quietly as she stood attentively beside him. "For looking after my little girl. I know she's training to be a huntress, Dust, it's all she ever wanted ever since I put a sword in her tiny little hands." He smiled ruefully, causing his beard to twitch. "But it's hard watching her grow up and put herself into danger."

He turned to face Pip solemnly. "So, you have my thanks for all you have done for her."

The blonde nodded back just as solemnly. "Sir, she's my family. All of them are, they're all I have and I love them dearly."

He furrowed his eyebrows and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You don't say? So… your parents, they are not proud of you?"

"Um, I'm an orphan, sir," she replied quietly.

"Remarkable," he murmured, the sound like an approaching thunderstorm. "You look just like… Well, no matter!" He reached out and pulled Pip into one of his customary bear hugs, and the lanky blonde suddenly attained a new appreciation for how out-of-breath both Evie and Beryl seemed after receiving such ministrations.

"Farewell, Miss Cerise, and you take care of that team of yours!" He waved merrily as he strode off, towering head and shoulders above the rest of the pedestrians.

She slipped back inside the cafe, shaking her head slightly. _What was that all about?_

"You okay, Pip?" Beryl asked solicitously. "Come on, your food's getting cold!"

"Sure thing, Peanut," she snarked as she took her seat.

"Pip," the blue-haired girl said levelly without even sparing her a glance. "I swear to Oum, they will never find the body parts."

Evie sighed and pulled a ten lien note out which she slid over to a widely grinning Lustre.

_Eh, sometimes I just can't help myself..._

**Undisclosed Location in Vale**

Damian and Frost Schnee had finished their tour of the underground facility and were making their way towards the heart of the operation.

"And this here is where the magic happens," their tour guide smirked. She held a hand out towards a thin, nervous-looking man in a lab coat. "Have you met the good doctor before, Mr Schnee?"

"No, indeed not," the scientist exclaimed, hurrying over to shake Damian's hand. "Doctor Viridian, at your service, sir."

"A pleasure, Doctor," he smiled politely. "This is my sister and bodyguard, Frost." She gave him a polite nod of her own but maintained a respectful distance behind the group, looking about the room in interest while her hand rested on the hilt of her weapon. "So, can you finally tell us about this process of yours?"

"Yes, yes indeed," he replied enthusiastically, twirling a stylus in his fingers that had one end chewed. "You see, it all begins with our dear Whisper here!"

The petite girl nodded amicably. "My semblance allows me to control Grimm."

"I see," Damian replied levelly. "And that's how you obtain your subjects, then?"

"Correct, and then the real fun begins!" the doctor stated excitedly. "You see, once she brings them in and under control, we implant the device… er, that is, the control unit…"

"It allows me to control them easily, multiples of the creatures and from further away," Whisper interjected. "It will also be critical to the final stage of the plan, as you might understand."

"Yes, I do." Damian looked about, noting that in the sterile, stark white laboratory, only Whisper showed up as any color. Both he and Frost wore all white, as was customary for their family.

"And the… process?" Frost asked hesitantly, brushing her chin-length white hair behind an ear. "How does that work?"

"Oh, it's quite complicated," the doctor began, tapping at his handheld rapidly. "You see, the basic functionality-"

"Now, now, Doctor," a smooth male voice, one with the weight of authority behind it, interrupted. "No need to go into the specifics."

The group turned to observe a tall, well-built man enter the room. He wore an expensive silk three-piece suit much like Damian's but in black with a white shirt and crimson tie. His face, bordered by a neatly trimmed black beard that matched the short hairs on his head, bore a certain magnetism, one which would certainly be considered handsome but also one that commanded a certain amount of respect for the charismatic power he obviously held.

"Welcome, Mr Schnee," the newcomer said jovially as he extended a hand. Damian met his grip with a firm one of his own, immediately confirming his earlier impressions about the man.

This was someone used to power, someone who should not be trifled with.

"Lord Malachite," Damian greeted his host warmly. "Such a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

"But the pleasure is all mine, I assure you!" Malachite replied. His pale green eyes were hard and glittering, though Damian couldn't detect any hint of actual malice therein.

"And to answer your question, Ms Schnee I presume? Yes, the process itself essentially fuses dust with the Grimm. Red dust for the Nevermores to allow them fire, green dust for the Gryffons for their wonderful sonic attack, and white dust for the Beowolves to lend them incredible speed."

Damian nodded agreeably, though he noted Frost wore a frown on her face. He shot her a quick glance, and her visage immediately faded to neutral again.

"Now, this facility here is for Research and Development only. We have another here in Vale to stage our operation, though we don't have the time to tour that today. Would you like to witness the actual process?" Malachite grinned at them, his brilliant pearly white teeth practically sparkling in the bright lights of the lab. "We have another captured Beowolf already on a table for you to observe."

"Yes, that would be wonderful, thank you…"

A couple of hours later the Schnee siblings were back on their corporate flight home to Atlas once more. Frost was gazing out the window, her face troubled.

Damian sighed inwardly. He knew she might have some objections to this. His sister was always an idealist, ever since she'd inherited the rapier that was at her waist. The young girl had idolized her Aunt Weiss, and when she had died she had resolved right then and there to follow in her and their mother Winter's path to be a huntress.

He glanced wryly at _Myrtenaster_. His little sister had indeed become deadly proficient with the weapon, easily surpassing her Aunt at that age, if the stories were to be believed. Only two years out of Atlas Academy, having graduated top of her class, and now she served the family.

 _Well, she serves me. We are all the family that remains._ He let a quick, hard smile spill across his face before letting it slip once more. _Certainly took long enough._

"Damian," his sister finally sighed. "I have concerns."

"I'm sure you do," he replied smoothly. "You know, though, I wouldn't be doing this without good reason."

"Would you?" she whispered. "You wouldn't do this just to amass more power?"

"Power is always a worthy goal," he asserted. "But in this case it is secondary. The greater good comes first. You remember all those who tried to dismantle our great-grandfather's company, don't you? Those who were so jealous of us that, even in the midst of our grieving, they tried to slander me, besmirch our family name?"

"I remember," she replied softly, still gazing out the window. "And still they try."

"Yes, still they try," he agreed. "It's the same everywhere, the people in power who hold their heels to the throats of anyone who isn't privileged enough to be wealthy or skilled enough to be a hunter. You've seen it yourself." Damian sat forward eagerly. "I am only one man, Frost. Reform comes slowly against those in power who fight it. Unless I can help wrest that power away from them, I cannot enact meaningful change."

Frost nodded slightly and turned to face him. "And your part of this deal, providing the financial resources for this Lord Malachite… It sets you up as the most powerful being in Atlas."

"That is the plan, yes."

"And this will benefit society, being able to finally push through all the reforms we've talked about?"

"Yes," he replied with a warm, trusting smile. "Absolutely."

"Very well, Damian. You know I shall always support you. We're all the family we have, after all."

He leaned back, careful not to show the smugness that coursed through his veins. It had been a risk to let her into the plan this early, but the risk paid off with her acceptance.

"Thank you, Frost. You won't regret this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet more actors on the stage! And hey, the shadowy man finally has a name! I suppose that means that this arc for the story might just concern them more, eh? The plot thickens! Quick note about Damian and Frost keeping the name Schnee though their mother was Winter. Theirs is a dynasty, and likely anyone marrying into it, male or female, would assume the Schnee name unless the circumstances were extraordinary.
> 
> I had fun writing Corvis Beryl. Everyone knows a parent like that. Also, shout-out to /u/popoley4221998 on Reddit (Commando2341) for the Evie x Beryl pairing name of Scaredy Cat. I love it!


	15. Downtime

**Volume 2** **  
**

**Town of Vale**   
**Friday Evening**

Evie strolled along the busy sidewalk, her arm securely wrapped around her blue-haired girlfriend's shoulders. They'd just finished dinner, and were in no particular hurry to get anywhere just yet, rather just enjoying each other's company.

The Cat Faunus glanced down at Beryl, noting her bronze eyes glinting in the streetlamps that cut through the night to illuminate their way. The shorter girl's face was relaxed, a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth as she tightened her arm around her own waist.

_Dust, she is so beautiful… Why did it take me so long to figure out how much she means to me?_

It'd been two weeks since they'd changed their relationship for the better, and every day she caught herself more and more in wonderment with her petite girlfriend. There was much she had already admired and knew about her, the steadfast loyalty and protectiveness she harbored towards the team, the way she would observe with quick, careful, and intelligent eyes the movements of other students as they sparred. But she'd begun to realize that Beryl often trained that same intense gaze upon herself.

It made her feel like she was the center of the blue-haired girl's universe.

And then there were the little things that she did, or gestures that she seemed to effortlessly make. Like tonight, when she took her out to a new seafood restaurant. Or when Beryl had so shyly asked if she could start using her hygiene products, somehow _knowing_ what that gesture would mean to a Faunus, to have Evie's scent on her, marking her as hers.

The way she would gently play with her ears every night before bed. Or know just when Evie was on the verge of stressing out over a paper or test, and effortlessly reigning her emotions back in with a shoulder rub, or another ear scritch, or just a break to go on a walk outside.

Evie let out a soft sigh. _I really don't deserve someone as wonderful as her…_

"What was that for?" Beryl perceptively murmured.

The raven-haired Faunus glanced back over at her again. "Sometimes… I just wonder how you do what you do, y'know?"

Beryl pulled the pair to a halt, looking up at her with a blank expression.

"I mean… all the things you do for me… I just…" Evie sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't feel like I do enough to deserve everything you do, everything you mean to me."

She opened her eyes again when she felt a small hand cup her cheek. Beryl's light bronze eyes were shining now with earnestness.

"How can you say that?" her girlfriend whispered. "You are so, so very worthy of all my love… Everything you are to me…" Beryl cleared her throat in embarrassment, glancing away briefly. "Um, I know I'm not the best with words sometimes… But, you're my kitty cat, you're my heart, and everything I do for you is because I want to, I want to… show you how much I love you, and, y'know… just because I want to."

Evie smiled down at her, ignoring the press of the passersby as they flowed around the couple. "You are so sweet…" she murmured.

"There's the smile I love to see," Beryl beamed. "That's why I do what I do. To make you happy, and to see you smile like that."

"You do, you make me so very happy…"

"And you make me happy as well… Dust, I've never been so happy in all my life."

They gazed into each other's eyes blissfully for another moment before Evie lowered her head and gave Beryl a slow, sweet kiss. "I love you," she murmured against the blue-haired girl's lips.

"I love you too," Beryl murmured back.

They resumed their stroll, a little more of a bounce in their steps than before. Suddenly Evie wanted to get back to their room and some privacy, as much as she was enjoying the open air.

"Can we head back?" she asked nonchalantly.

Beryl grinned, not fooled in the slightest, as she ran her hand along her ribs ever so casually. Her small, calloused hands made her shiver even through her clothes. "I'd like that," she replied.

They separated a little bit so that they might hold hands instead, as it would allow them to walk towards the airbus platform faster.

"Oh, wait!" Beryl exclaimed, pulling them to a halt. "We almost forgot to pick up our order!"

Evie giggled quietly. "Well, that would suck. We'd never hear the end of it from the others if we were so eager to get back that we forgot."

"Seriously," Beryl chuckled, steering them down a side street. "I think we've passed through Pip's grace period, any teasing is fair game now…"

Fifteen minutes later saw Beryl lugging a good-sized box back towards the platform again, while Evie looked at her askance.

"You sure you don't want help with that?" she asked hesitantly.

"Nope!" Beryl replied confidently. "It's all good, this isn't even the hardware, we already picked that up yesterday."

"So it's a box of wooden blocks?" Evie asked. She was excited that they would soon have their bunk beds put together, finally.

"Right, but with the necessary holes already punched through the centers. Now we just have to drill the holes in the tops of the bottom bunks and the bottom of the top bunks."

"If you say so… How do you know how to do all this, anyways?"

Beryl shot her an amused glance. "You saw my Dad, right? He raised me like a son. I know all about woodworking."

"Hmm, a woman of hidden talents," Evie giggled. "What other fun stuff have you been hiding from me?"

"Well…" Beryl mused, her lips pursed in thought. "I can make a really mean chili."

The Cat Faunus barked out a loud laugh, not having expected that response at all. "Yep, many hidden talents," she snickered.

"Not to mention a seriously good kisser."

"Oum, and modest to boot."

"Hey, those were _your_ words."

"I must have been under your spell at that point."

Beryl snorted humorously. "What, my kissing puts you under my spell?"

"Yeah," Evie sighed blissfully. "Yeah, it does."

Her girlfriend blushed brightly as they boarded the next transport to Beacon. "Um… well I suppose that makes two of us."

"What, you fall under you own spell?" Evie snarked.

"That's not… You are such a dork. Cute, but a dork."

"Mmhmm," Evie grinned, leaning over her once they'd taken their seats with the box under their legs. "And I'm your dork."

"I would say the both of you are rather profound examples of dorks," a soft voice interjected from behind them. The pair turned to see a pair of light blue eyes, twinkling in merriment, staring back at them.

"Hey, Lustre!" Beryl greeted her silver-haired partner. "Didya have fun in town?"

"I did," she replied, walking around to sit next to them. "I purchased a few new books, as well as… clothing."

"Wait, what?" Evie exclaimed in shock. "You… went clothes shopping?"

Lustre blushed lightly, the action showing up even on her dusky skin. "Well, yes… Pip made some recommendations while she and Rufus were with me. I have a new casual dress. It is very nice."

"Well, how about that," the Cat Faunus said, sitting back again. "And how are the other lovebirds doing?"

Rufus Henna, Pip's boyfriend from Shade Academy, had decided to come out from Vacuo and visit for the weekend, subsequently blowing through much of his cash reserves in the process for the two-way ticket. Their blonde leader was extremely touched by the gesture, and was taking him around town to enjoy the nightlife.

"They were prepared to, er, 'hit the town', as it were," Lustre commented with a small smile. "I do believe they wanted me to mention they would be out quite late tonight."

"Oh, really?" Beryl asked, a gleam in her eyes.

"Indeed," Lustre smirked. "Also, I might have not mentioned this, but I have been invited to a video viewing party over at Team Iris' room. It will also likely run late."

Evie giggled. "Thanks, sweetie," she murmured.

"It is my pleasure. I shall be sure to knock before I enter when I retire for the night."

Beryl and Evie turned to each other, both wearing goofy grins. "Well, then," Evie murmured. "It's a good thing we decided to return when we did."

"Yes," Beryl murmured back. "Yes it is."

**Beacon Academy**

Lustre stayed just long enough to drop off her purchases and change into her kimono sleepwear before leaving for her friends' room. The couple turned towards each other after dropping their box off in the corner next to the other hardware for the bunk beds.

"Sooo…" Beryl drawled, one eyebrow raised inquisitively.

Evie fidgeted with the dark red straps that encased her upper arms. "How about we get ready for bed early?"

"Sounds good. Um, you wanna just… go ahead?"

The Cat Faunus glanced around in embarrassment. As strongly as they felt towards each other, they'd still done nothing more than kiss. Each was even more hesitant now to undress in front of the other, which seemed kind of silly in her mind.

_Dust, we've dressed in front of each other before, it's never been that big of a deal… Why is it I feel so unsure now of doing so?_

Beryl quickly picked up on her hesitation. "I can go change in the bathroom," she quickly interjected.

"No… No, it's okay, um… I'll just…"

Evie turned her back on her girlfriend and, facing her dresser, began to remove her clothing, pulling off her accessories first before slipping her black crop top off. She bent down to remove her boots when she risked a quick peek over her shoulder.

Her blue-haired girlfriend was in the process of taking her own boots off, but was openly staring at her. She gave a start once she'd been found out, and quickly turned around again.

"Really, sweetie?"

"I'm sorry," Beryl mumbled. "I just… Yeah, I have no excuse for peeking. Sorry."

Evie laughed as she pulled her black leggings and bra off before stepping into her sleep shorts. "I, um… I don't mind, I guess," she replied hesitantly as she slipped her camisole top over her head. "Are you… decent?"

"Yeah."

The Cat Faunus turned at the slightly dejected tone in Beryl's voice to see her staring down at her own sleeping attire. The blue sleep pants and baggy white shirt that bore her sapphire blue protection knot emblem on it were to be expected, but not the glum look on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, taking a step forward to rest her hands on Beryl's shoulders.

"Do you… Should I maybe get something else to sleep in?" her girlfriend asked meekly. "Something, I dunno… more feminine?"

Evie sighed affectionately and pulled her the rest of the way into a hug. "If you want to, that's fine," she murmured. "But don't feel you have to just for me. I like your pajamas, and I know they're comfortable to you."

"Says the sexy Cat Faunus who wears skimpy sleepwear to bed," Beryl mumbled into her chest.

"Sexy?" Evie asked, unsure if she'd heard right.

"Um…" Beryl sighed. She could almost hear the gears in her brain turning fast to figure out a way to retract her previous statement. "Yeah. I got nothing. That's what I said alright."

"Well, um… I never really thought of this as…" Evie paused and blinked her eyes in surprise. Beryl was pressed against her in a hug, which was nothing new, but while wearing her camisole top, her rather low-cut camisole top…

"Your face is in my boobs," she finally stated levelly.

"That it is," Beryl replied calmly. "Not complaining any."

"Um." Evie was at a bit of a loss. On the one hand, they'd decided not to move their relationship forward in any physical sense, and Beryl had repeatedly expressed her desire to take things at whichever pace she wanted, as slow as she desired.

Yet, on the other hand, having Beryl pressed up like this, her breath warm on her halfway-exposed bosom, filled her with a tingly feeling that was altogether pleasant.

Her brain began screaming at her about how important it was to wait for such things, as she'd always planned.

Meanwhile, her libido smacked her brain firmly and reminded it that not only was Beryl, without a doubt, worthy mating material, but this felt really, really, _really_ good.

Evie's body, content at letting the two of them battle things out, decided to just leave things as they were.

 _Traitor_ , her brain complained.

 _Shut it, you_ , her libido retorted.

"Hey, Evie?" her girlfriend eventually murmured. "Um… Did you wanna get in bed?"

"Bed!" she exclaimed far more loudly than she'd intended, causing Beryl to jump slightly. "I mean, yes, yes we should. Get in bed. Together."

Beryl pulled back, gazing up at her with a bemused look. "Are… you okay?"

"Fine, never better," Evie replied, knowing her eyes were perhaps a little wild. She closed them, and took a deep breath. Once she opened them again, it was to catch Beryl's gaze shooting back up towards her face.

"Were you just checking me out again?" she asked humorously.

Beryl sighed, and turned towards her bed. "I really do try to behave," she grumbled petulantly. "But it's Dust-damned hard when you're so gorgeous."

Evie giggled as she slid under the covers next to her small girlfriend. "I'm sorry I make things so difficult for you."

"Well, I'm not," Beryl smiled. "Wouldn't want you any other way than as you are."

"You just wanna make sure I don't wear anything more concealing to bed."

"Dust, no, please… That would just be cruel…"

Evie cleared her throat as she leaned forward, a blush brightening her face. "Well… what about something, um… more revealing?"

Beryl gazed into her eyes, a matching blush spreading across her cheeks. "Oh, that would be even more cruel… Might just kill me, in fact…"

"Well, we wouldn't want that to happen," Evie murmured before sealing her lips against Beryl's.

Once again the Cat Faunus reveled in the feeling of Beryl's softness pressed up against her, her velvety tongue swirling inside her mouth and against her own tongue. Beryl's strong hands reached up and around her waist, grasping at the back of her camisole to pull her in tighter against her body.

Evie rolled slightly so that she was fully on top. One arm was wrapped around Beryl's middle while she ran the fingers of her other hand through her chin-length blue hair. She was feeling a little more aggressive than usual, perhaps because of their earlier embrace, but she let her arm slide down further towards Beryl's waist to pull her in as tight as she could.

In doing so, however, Beryl's leg made contact with her vagina through her sleep shorts.

Evie gasped loudly and shot off of Beryl. Her nerves were sparking like she'd been shot with an infusion of white dust, and she found herself trembling at the unanticipated contact.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Beryl exclaimed in a panic. "I didn't mean to, really, it just-"

Evie reached over and placed her fingers against Beryl's lips, cutting off her babbling. "It's… okay, sweetie, just… a little unexpected, is all."

She turned on her side so that they were facing each other again. Beryl's eyes were filled with worry, which in turn made her feel incredibly guilty. "Really, it's okay," she tried to assure her.

"Well, okay then…" Beryl hesitantly leaned forward again and gave her a soft kiss. "Maybe… we just stay like this, then?"

"Yeah…" Evie replied absently. Her libido was once again screaming at her to jump that beautiful girl right now, while her brain was still shouting the same refrain as before.

"Evie?"

"Um… I…" Evie closed her eyes. "I don't know what I want," she admitted softly.

"Oh." Beryl cupped her face in her hands, stroking her cheeks with calloused thumbs. Evie leaned into the touch, practically purring at the rough feeling against her skin.

"You know," the blue-haired girl began hesitantly. "There's… well, stuff we can do that's short of actual, um… sex."

Evie blinked her eyes open again, both her brain and libido silencing in rapt attention to what she had to say. "Go on…" she prompted, trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice.

"Well, besides the kissing… um…" Beryl was blushing brightly, but decided to instead let her actions speak for her. She reached down to grasp Evie's hand and slowly pull it up to her own small chest.

Evie's mouth made a circle as she gazed down wondrously, and then her lips clamped shut once Beryl had moved her hand up to the intended target.

"It's just kinda fooling around a little," Beryl explained, her voice somewhat strained. "Without crossing the line. At least, I think it doesn't. Unless you think it does?"

"No," she breathed. "I don't… I think this might be, um, okay… maybe…"

"Hey, kitty cat," Beryl murmured, drawing her gaze upwards again. "I'm not going to rush you into doing anything you don't want to do, okay?

"I… I want to, really… but I'm just not sure…"

Beryl nodded and gently moved Evie's hand off of her chest and around her waist again. "If you're unsure, then you're not ready," she stated adamantly. "And that's okay."

 _I was really enjoying that_ , her libido complained.

Her brain just shrugged wordlessly. _She's not wrong._

"But…"

"Evie, don't worry about it," Beryl assured her, leaning forward to kiss her once more.

Evie closed her eyes, feeling them burn slightly with her irritation at herself. _Why can't I figure out what I want?_

 _I already said my bit,_ her libido stated crossly.

She waited for her brain to make a rejoinder, but it seemed to have found something more interesting to deal with elsewhere.

Beryl pulled back and grinned sheepishly. "Um, Evie…?"

"Yeah?"

"Your tail is going up my shirt."

Evie let out a squawk and grabbed at the offending appendage, holding it firmly behind her. "Sorry, sweetie," she blushed. "Sometimes it just has a mind of its own…"

"Well," Beryl chuckled. "Maybe it just acts through your subconsciousness?"

"Could be," Evie conceded thoughtfully. She was the one to initiate the kiss this time, putting both her passion and frustration into it as she pressed her body up against her slender girlfriend.

_It's really not crossing a line… Is it? No, no it's not…_

Having made up her mind, Evie rolled back and pulled Beryl on top of her. Instead of supporting the diminutive girl by the waist, she slipped both hands up and hesitantly placed them on her small chest.

Beryl let out a soft moan into her mouth, which, to be honest, gave her another warm tingly feeling through her entire body. They stayed like that, each one afraid to move but still deepening the kiss as much as they could, before Beryl finally pulled away and rolled off of her.

They lay side by side, both of them panting for breath. Evie's finally subsided somewhat, though the tingly feeling didn't seem to want to subside. Beryl, on the other hand, seemed to be still struggling to even out her breathing.

Finally, the blue-haired girl leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Um… I need to use the restroom."

Evie just nodded and watched as her girlfriend darted over towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

 _Well, that was… something. I suppose she enjoyed that? I know I would have…_ Her face blushed brightly at the thought of those small and roughly calloused hands wandering over her own chest. _Oum, just thinking about that… really, really excites me…_

She stifled a moan as she rolled onto her side. But then her Faunus ears picked up on another faint sound coming from the restroom.

Evie sucked in a quick breath of surprise. Beryl wasn't using the restroom for what she thought she was using it for, not if the labored pants coming from there were anything to go by.

 _Oh, Dust damn it all…_ And it wasn't like she could stop hearing it. Well, she could have, really, by stuffing her head under a pillow… But she found herself simply not wanting to stop hearing it.

And then her own hand crept down her stomach, and she sighed resignedly. _Well, shit. May as well, at this point…_

Perhaps ten minutes later Beryl entered the room again, flipped the light switch, and slipped under the covers next to Evie. The Cat Faunus looked over, and her vision easily picked up on her girlfriend's chagrined blush even with the lights out.

"Sorry," Beryl murmured. "Um… I didn't think about, you know…"

"How I would be able to hear everything?" Evie finished for her wryly.

"Yeah, that."

"Well…" It was Evie's turn to blush now. "I may have… taken care of myself as well."

"Oh." Beryl chuckled weakly. "Seems kinda silly to do something like that in separate rooms."

Evie turned fully onto her side, unsure if she'd heard her correctly, or if she was interpreting that with any degree of accuracy.

 _Yep, pretty sure she meant exactly that_ , her brain assured her.

Her libido just purred contentedly.

She swallowed her suddenly dry throat. "Well… maybe some time…"

"Later," Beryl stated with a nod. She looked over at Evie and smiled warmly. "Much later."

"Yeah. Later." Evie leaned down and gave her a kiss. "I love you," she whispered. "And… I appreciate you being so patient with me."

"Told you, kitty cat," Beryl grinned. "I'm not going anywhere. I can afford to be patient."

"I'm glad."

Beryl gave the tip of her nose a kiss. "And I love you, too. Let's get some sleep, huh?"

"Okay, sweetie. 'Night."

"G'night, love."

Evie rolled over to allow Beryl to spoon her. She smiled softly to herself as her girlfriend reached up to run her nimble fingers along one of her black furry ears on the top of her head.

_Yeah, I'm not going anywhere either. I think… I think I may have just found my mate._

_Took you long enough to figure that out,_ her brain complained.

 _Seriously,_ her libido chimed in with a satisfied sigh.

 _Oh, shut it and sleep,_ she retorted crossly.

Some time later a soft knock sounded at their door, and Evie sleepily called out an all-clear without waking Beryl up. Lustre slipped inside and wordlessly got ready for bed before settling down for the night herself.

It would be morning before the three girls realized that their team leader had never returned to their dorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh cliff-hanger! I know, I suck. Hopefully this didn't cross the line for folks, I think I kept it to PG level for the most part. Plus I had fun with Evie's brain and libido arguing.
> 
> Next chapter will pick up the same evening to see what Pip and Rufus are up to.


	16. Visitation

**Volume 2** **  
**

**Town of Vale**   
**Friday Evening**

Pip grinned as she looked her silver-haired teammate over. "Babe, you rock that dress. Doesn't she rock that dress? Tell her she rocks that dress." She gave her auburn-haired boyfriend a nudge with her elbow.

"Definitely rocking the dress," Rufus laughed lightly in agreement.

"I am still not certain," Lustre hedged, looking down at herself. She stood barefoot in front of the dressing room at Remnant's Fashion, the dress she had tried on reaching to just past her knees. It was a white-and-light-blue patterned ensemble, short-sleeved and backless, that the blonde thought brought her brilliant pale blue eyes out perfectly.

"Seriously, Lustre, get the damn dress already. It's perfect."

"And this is casual enough to wear out on the town, as we are tonight?" the dark-skinned girl inquired softly, twirling herself about slowly.

"Yep, or for lots of other functions, you know, like dinners, dances, dates…"

Lustre shot her a glare at that last word which made Pip raise her hands defensively. "Kidding, I'm kidding!"

With a roll of her eyes, the silver-haired girl twirled one last time before returning to the changing room. "Very well, then," she commented over her shoulder as she closed the door.

"Yes!" Pip exulted quietly, pumping a victorious fist into the air.

"Why are you so excited about her getting a dress?" her tall boyfriend asked curiously.

The blonde grinned, bouncing up and down on her toes like a child at Yuletide. "You don't understand! She never, and I mean _never_ , buys clothes for herself, outside of her combat clothes or for special occasions, like the Vytal dance! This is _huge_ progress!"

"Oookaayyy," he drawled uncertainly. "Which means…?"

"Which means, tall, dark, and handsome, that she's coming further out of her shell!" Pip explained patiently. "Look, when our team first formed, both Beryl and Lustre were incredibly shy and withdrawn. In Lustre's case, she just wanted to hide behind her books all the time, right?"

"I still enjoy reading more than social interaction," Lustre called out from the changing room.

"Hush, you, I'm giving context," Pip chided with a grin before turning back to Rufus. "Anyway, she's come a long way since then, not just within our team but with other students as well. This is just another step out, breaking away from her mold of a serious student."

The changing room opened to reveal Lustre, back in her school uniform with her non-regulatory white socks. "I still fail to see how dressing differently does anything meaningful."

"It's like your socks, babe. Individuality!"

"Which is overrated."

"Pfft," Pip scoffed as she pulled Lustre in for a one-armed hug. "Admit it, you're blossoming."

"I shall admit to no such thing."

"Now you're just being sulky."

"I prefer the term 'quietly petulant'."

"Yeah, that means sulky."

Lustre rolled her eyes humorously as she walked with the other two teens towards the register. "Remind me why it is I continue to tolerate you?"

"'Cause you love me," Pip grinned cheekily.

"Ah, yes, I knew there was a probable reason."

Rufus walked with his hands stuffed into his dark-brown knee-length duster, open to reveal his toned and muscular abdomen. "You've got the most interesting relationship with your team, darlin'."

"Eh, what can I say? We're family!" The blonde gave Lustre a quick peck on the cheek, which caused her friend to squawk indignantly.

"Pip, we discussed this, no forms of affection involving the lips!"

"I can't help it, you're just such a cutie!" Pip needled her, following it up with a gleeful cackle.

Lustre simply growled in reply, sounding much like an angry kitten, before placing her dress on the counter and pulling her wallet out.

"She ever beat you over the head for your antics?" Rufus asked with a smirk.

Pip shrugged carelessly. "Eh, once or twice. That's what an aura is for."

Lustre stood tapping her foot, muttering choice phrases under her breath, while she was rung up. Pip was able to catch a few of them such as 'incorrigible' and 'despicable', as well as 'recidivous', whatever that last one meant.

Once her silver-haired teammate was finished, Pip intercepted her before she could storm out of the store. She wrapped her ropey and muscular arms around her shorter friend and gave her a warm hug.

"You know I love you, right?" the blonde murmured.

"Yes, Pip," Lustre sighed affectionately. "Though you do tend to push things."

"I can but try," she smirked as she let go and followed her outside. "So, where are you off to next?"

"I believe I shall retire for the evening," Lustre explained. "Team Iris has invited me to watch a video in their room. It might give Evie and Beryl some alone time as well."

Pip shook her head and sighed melodramatically. "I wish the two of them would just bang and get it over with."

"Not everyone is as concerned with sex as you are," Lustre reminded her archly.

"And not everyone is as disinterested in sex as you are," she retorted.

"Indeed. But they are comfortable as they are, and you should not try to influence them otherwise."

The blonde girl suddenly grinned anticipatorily. "Ten lien says within the week."

Her grin widened as she noted Lustre's pale blue eyes twinkle. Betting was the silver-haired girl's one weakness, especially when it came to her friends. It was well-justified, as she had the best record of all of them, which was understandable being as observant and intuitive as she was.

"Acceptable. Foreplay does not count."

"What?"

"Sex only."

"Ugh, fine… So how do we define sex?"

" _We_ do not," Lustre replied with a smirk. "They will be the ones to define it as such."

"You are making this less and less fun, you know."

"I am simply removing the opportunities for you to cheat."

"What, me? Cheat?" Pip held a hand to her chest in mock affront.

"Please," Lustre scoffed. "How else would you describe your actions yesterday?"

"Hey, how was I supposed to know Beanie would insult me within the agreed-upon time frame?" Pip protested, her eyes wide and broadcasting her innocence for all to see.

"Perhaps it had something to do with the note you left for him, goading him on," Lustre stated flatly, not buying it for a second.

"Oh," Pip said with a chagrined smile, touching the tips of her forefingers together. "Found out about that, huh?"

"Mmhmm. And while I realize that cheating is an accepted and time-honored ploy in our wagers, I shall still remove as many avenues from you as possible."

The blonde giggled quietly. "Okay, then. Sex within the week."

"As defined by Evie and Beryl."

"Yup, as defined by them."

"And no leaving notes to them in their names to trick them."

"Dammit…"

By this point Rufus was leaning against the storefront, his shoulders shaking in silent laughter. "She's got your number, Pip," he gasped.

"Yeah, she usually does," Pip grinned. "Alright, babe, we're gonna go hit the town. Let the moon-eyed couple know we'll be back late."

"I shall do so," Lustre replied with an answering grin. The two friends shared another warm hug before the silver-haired girl finally turned to leave, giving Rufus a friendly wave.

"Yep, the most interesting team," Rufus chuckled. He draped his arm comfortably around Pip's shoulders as they began to meander along the street. "And she's got, like, zero interest in _anybody_?"

"If you mean for relationships, then yeah. I tease her about it sometimes, but not in a mean way, and not around others that we're not close friends with. She just doesn't want anything like that."

Rufus stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I've just… never met anyone who had no interest in sex at all."

Pip shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not a big deal, really, just who she is."

"Speaking of relationships…" Rufus began hesitantly. "So, I told Sunny about Beryl and Evie."

"Oh yeah? How'd that go?"

"She's fine with it, really. Actually said how happy she was for them."

"No kidding?" Pip chuckled. "Damn. Guess I should've expected that."

"There any way you might be able to, I dunno… talk to Beryl about keeping in touch with her? Sunny still wants to be her friend, but doesn't want to intrude if it's gonna make things awkward."

"Now _that_ I didn't expect, for her to want to check first. I mean, not that Sunny's inconsiderate, but…"

"I know, but I have a feeling Tara talked to her."

Pip laughed merrily. "Yeah, okay, that makes more sense. But sure, I'll mention it."

Rufus nodded genially. "So then, where to, gorgeous?"

"Hmm…" Pip mused thoughtfully. "Well, a hotel room is out, neither one of us have the lien…"

"Very true," he replied with a laugh.

"Wanna hit a bar?"

"Why, my dear Pip, are you trying to get me drunk to take advantage of me?" Rufus asked with a lecherous wag of his eyebrows.

Pip gave him a light smack across his bare chest. "Dork. No, I know of this cool little bar on the seedier edge of town that I like to go to. Cool atmosphere and always good for a bar fight."

"Vale actually has a seedier side?"

"Yep."

"Huh. And you haven't gotten barred from this place yet?"

"Nope. The owner likes me, I saved his kid this one time from being harassed."

Rufus glanced over at her curiously. "Why were they being harassed?"

"Aw, just some ignorant inbred hick bigots who didn't like the fact that she was half-Faunus."

"Really? You guys still get that around here? I thought that was an Atlas thing."

"Eh," Pip shrugged carelessly. "Like I said, a couple of inbred hicks. You get those every so often. I convinced them of the error of their ways."

Rufus snorted humorously. "Likely with some amount of broken bones and concussions, right?"

"You know me so well," the blonde grinned.

"So when was this?"

"Hmm…" Pip gazed up at the stars in thought. They'd moved away from the main bustle of main street downtown and were now in an area where the street lamps were further spaced apart as they traversed through an industrial area. "I suppose about six years ago now?"

Rufus pulled to a halt, startled. "Wait, you're saying you beat the crap out of two grown adults when you were _twelve_?"

She laughed, a carefree and unselfconscious sound. "I've always been a scrapper, growing up in an orphanage can do that for you. But yeah, by that point I was already accepted into the early combat schools on a government program."

"Wow, got an early start, then," he mused as they began to walk once more.

"Yeah, one of the advantages of being an orphan, it allowed me opportunities for programs like that. Basically a full-ride scholarship, so long as I don't screw up majorly." Pip snickered loudly. "So far, so good. Or at least, they haven't found out about anything major."

"And I'm sure your performance at the Vytal Festival helped."

"Well, it's not like I'm being evaluated or anything. I mean, Oz can always boot me out, and then that would drop me out of the program as well. He's pretty cool, though. I'd have to seriously fuck up to get on his bad side."

Rufus was about to make another rejoinder, but before he could a shiver went down Pip's spine.

"Hey, babe…"

"Yeah, I felt it too. We're being watched."

"Should we ambush them?"

Rufus chuckled lightly while searching around the deserted street. The few shops there were closed already as they mostly catered to the day workers in the nearby factories, and the pedestrian traffic had trickled off to nothing.

"Figures we'd be unarmed," he sighed. "Not that toting greatswords around town is overly inconspicuous or anything…"

"Oh, please," she scoffed confidently. "We're hunters-in-training, dangerous enough on our own. Besides which, I can brawl with the best of 'em."

They turned as a shadow detached itself from the storefront across the street. "Well, I guess we're about to find out," Rufus murmured before raising his voice. "What do you want?"

"Well, he's sure as hell not selling makeup," the blonde quipped, earning her a semi-exasperated glance from her boyfriend.

As the shadow approached it resolved itself into a tall, gangly-looking man who was several inches taller than Rufus and almost a foot taller than Pip's not-inconsiderable height. He moved with the grace and deadly fluidity of a skilled fighter, the ropey muscles evident on his lean frame. There was a loose shirt over his frame that matched the beige and tattered shorts, held up by a rope belt, that hung down to his knobby knees. On each of his gangly arms was an armguard crafted out of some wooden material and secured with linen wraps, similar to the bindings that encased his feet and shins.

"Yeah," Pip said slowly, her earlier snark forgotten as her mouth momentarily went dry. "This is not lookin' good."

"Still think we can take him?" Rufus asked quietly. He crouched with his feet braced apart, balancing on the balls of his feet, and arms held loosely at his sides, waiting to see what the approaching man would do. To his credit, the tall auburn-haired boy didn't try to shield Pip, knowing she could handle herself just fine.

She shot him a tight grin as she mimicked his ready stance and tried to inject confidence into her voice. "Between the both of us? Yeah, we got this."

And then the mysterious stranger was close enough for them to see the black pools of his irises, devoid of any emotion. The blond man stopped a few feet away and regarded them dispassionately.

"Why isn't he attacking?" Pip whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Maybe he's intimidated by us?"

"Not likely. I'm gonna try for conversation."

"By all means, be my guest, darlin'."

Without leaving her combat stance, Pip directed her next words at the gangly man. "So, hey buddy, lookin' pretty menacing there. We gonna fight or talk?"

Without warning the man lashed out with a foot towards Rufus, sending a powerful spin-kick at him that the auburn-haired boy barely managed to block. Still, it pushed him back along the sidewalk.

"Fight it is!" she sang out gleefully. Surging forward, she led off with a fierce uppercut, hoping to catch him off-guard from his attack on her boyfriend. That hope was immediately dashed as the man effortlessly blocked her strike with a negligent swipe from a hand. His other palm snaked out and slammed into her sternum, bowling her over backwards.

She lay on her back, stunned and gasping for breath. "Son of a _fuck_ ," she wheezed. "That fucking _hurt_!"

With an effort she pushed herself up and staggered to her feet once more. Rufus was desperately backing up as the man spun in a whirlwind of kicks and open-handed strikes.

 _Grimmshit,_ she thought angrily. _I need a weapon._

She glanced around quickly until her gaze fell on the awning of the store next to her. _Beggars can't be choosers._

Pip took a long step over and wrenched hard at the metal support holding the awning away from the side of the shop. It snapped off, leaving her with a long rod that felt solid enough in her hands to serve.

As she turned around, she noted worriedly that Rufus was up against a wall now. He twisted away and rolled to the side before coming up on one knee. And then he shouted.

Rufus' semblance was sonic and multifaceted. In conjunction with his sword he could channel it into a force strong enough to break down a wall. But by himself, it was still a power to be reckoned.

The auditory blast sent chunks away from the facade of the wall and blew detritus along the sidewalk, but the stranger just crossed his arms in front of his face. Those strange wooden armguards lit up with glowing runes, and he seemed to shrug the attack off as if it were a gentle breeze. Three quick steps took him to Rufus' side, but instead of attacking, he simply placed a hand on the top of her boyfriend's head.

She let out a roar of challenge as she raced forward, but she could tell she would be too late. Rufus' warm brown eyes widened in shock, and his mouth opened in a silent scream before he fell backwards, those same brown eyes now rolled lifelessly up into his head. He dropped into a boneless heap at the stranger's feet.

Pip let her roar turn into a growl as she channeled her own semblance into her makeshift weapon. It wouldn't be able to handle much of her heat before becoming useless, but she could light it up enough to make it hurt.

With a deft motion she twirled the rod around her, bringing it up under his guard while holding like she would a greatsword. Her eyes widened in shock as he intercepted it in a move that she didn't even see coming, one forearm blocking the strike with those odd armguards of his to shatter her weapon.

He took another step towards her, bottomless pools of black staring into her like the maw of hell itself.

"Who are you?" she whispered, shuffling a trembling leg backwards. She tried to surreptitiously pull her scroll out to call for help, but her shaking fingers couldn't pull up her contacts without her looking at it.

"My name," he finally spoke in a deep and resonant voice, sounding as if he were speaking from the bottom of a well. "Is Leech."

And then he flew at her faster than she could react to clamp his hand atop her head.

Pip felt as if her very soul was being sucked out of her, all the energy and warmth being pulled up through her body and into the hand that rested on her forehead. If she could have screamed she would have, but all she could do was stare in incomprehending terror at the blackness that rushed up to greet her, her scroll falling from limp fingers.

**Undisclosed Location**

When Pip came to again, her predicament had significantly worsened.

For starters, she was strapped to a gurney that was slightly elevated. That in itself was usually a very bad sign. Her clothes were gone, replaced by a thin paper gown that only covered her front, leaving her back and sides exposed. Which _greatly_ improved her mood, having a cold metal slab pressed against her bare rear end. Add to that the whole evil laboratory feel, with the sterile white walls, medical equipment, and transparent windowed outer wall that showed a brightly-illuminated hallway, and she was beginning to feel rather despondent about her chances of a quick escape.

She flexed her limbs, testing the unyielding restraints to no avail. Then she tried reaching up with her fingers to melt the restraints with her semblance, but all it did was give her burns on her wrists.

_Must be laced with dust. This is very bad._

Her head swiveled around, unable to see any sign of life or even a door, just what looked to be heavily reinforced glass. But then her eyes went beyond the glass to another identical room across the hall where she could see a similarly-attired Rufus, strapped to another gurney in much the same predicament. He was watching her with a concerned look on his face, and though his mouth moved she could detect no sound whatsoever. _So, soundproofed as well._

"Yep," she sighed heavily. "We're fucked."

And then there was a flurry of activity as a group of nondescript people in labcoats scurried down the hallway. They split into two groups of three, each tapping a code into a keypad outside the rooms before a glass panel slid aside to allow them entry.

She could hear Rufus' angry shouts before the closing panel cut them off, but she herself remained silent, just watching their movements carefully. The lab techs, as they appeared to be, were all male and kept out of her direct line of sight for the most part. Pip felt herself being poked at from the side, and noted for the first time that there were a few sensors placed on various parts of her body.

Eventually, she couldn't keep quiet any longer. "What are you going to do to me?" the lanky blonde asked in a desperate whisper.

As expected, they didn't deign to answer, just scurrying about and collecting their data before leaving again.

They paused in the hallway to speak with another labcoat-clad newcomer, this one a thin and balding man who chewed thoughtfully on a stylus as he reviewed the data presented to him. With a nod he dismissed the lab techs before keying himself into Pip's room.

"Hello, my dear," he said as he entered. "Comfortable?"

"Oh, sure," she snarked. "Great accommodations, five-star, really. I got an itch on my nose, though, you mind freeing one of my arms just for a sec?"

"Ah, wonderful," he chuckled absentmindedly as he made some notes into his handheld. "A sense of humor, that's marvelous."

She ground her teeth at the patronizing tone from what appeared to be a scientist. "So, what's going on here?" she prompted, trying to inject her voice with nonchalance. Chances were some of the venom leaked through anyway, but it didn't seem to faze the man in the slightest. "And who exactly the fuck are you?"

"Oh, how rude of me. My name is Doctor Viridian, and you, my dear child, are about to become part of something absolutely wonderful!" He tapped a few more keys before glancing up briefly with a satisfied smile. "Yes, this will work out nicely, I believe. Pippin Cerise, second-year student at Beacon Academy. Heat semblance, yes, wonderful… That will do nicely…"

"What. The. _Fuck_. Is. Going. On?" she gritted out, her patience wearing thin.

"Oh, I suppose it won't hurt to let you in on what we have in store for you," he replied genially. Viridian tucked the handheld into one of his wide lab coat pockets and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "You see, and this is very exciting, we're moving into the second phase of our experimentations. I believe you've met one of our, ahem, 'pets' previously?"

"Pets…?"

"Yes indeed, I believe this particular subject was a Nevermore, correct?"

Pip's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. "Oh sweet mother of Oum, you _made_ that thing we killed?" she almost shrieked in disbelief.

"Yes, yes, we've produced quite a few subjects since we started," he chuckled nonchalantly. "Congratulations on that, by the way. You and Miss Radiance Beryl were the only two to have survived an encounter with a Phase One Subject." His obvious emphasis on the last three words made Pip blink uncertainly.

"And then, phase two would be…?" she prompted with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Why, you and Mr Rufus Henna, of course!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Now, unfortunately, the process is quite painful, there's no way to avoid it. That much dust infused into a being at such a high rate can be quite the shock to one's system."

"Infusing… dust?" the blonde murmured, dread filling her voice.

"And naturally, we cannot use pain inhibitors," he continued as if she'd not spoken. "That interferes with the process. No, we have good expectations for the two of you. It's all very exciting, I've been waiting so long to try this on an aura user, one who can heal the damage as we go! Granted, there's still a considerable chance of the subject dying during the process, but I believe we've decreased it to acceptable levels…"

Pip stared at the scientist in horror. "Please," she whispered, desperate tears filling her eyes. "Please, don't do this… Why would you even do this?"

"Why?" Viridian replied, puzzled. "My dear child, for science, of course! I assure you, this will be an historic occasion!"

With that he spun and exited the room, cutting off any further pleading she might have made. The blonde turned her head towards the ceiling and let the tears flow freely down her cheeks.

"Yep," she choked out, hiccuping slightly. "Completely, totally, and without any lube whatsoever, fucked."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dunnnnnn… So I resolve one cliff-hanger only to leave you with another. Yeah, I still suck, sorry. Leech's semblance, as you might have guessed, is aura drain. And now we know what the second phase involves. And that Pip isn't feeling too hot about their chances right now.


	17. Scream

**Volume 2** **  
**

**Beacon Academy**   
**Saturday Morning**

Beryl eased her eyes open as she tried to figure out what on Remnant had caused her to wake. It became immediately apparent that she was floating on a boat.

Her light bronze eyes blinked uncertainly. _No, that can't be right, I'm in my bed, and in our dorm room, so why am I rocking?_

And then she noticed the alternating pressure on her back that was the root cause of her motion.

She craned her neck to look over her shoulder humorously. "Are you enjoying yourself?" she affectionately asked.

"Mmhmm," Evie replied without ceasing her kneading. The Cat Faunus leaned forward slightly so that she might rub her cheek along Beryl's, emitting a loud purr as she did so.

The blue-haired girl chuckled softly. "Can I at least turn over so I can kiss you good morning?"

"Oh, well I _suppose_ so," her girlfriend replied with mock irritation. It was spoiled by the wide grin she greeted Beryl with once they were facing each other. "Good morning."

"Mmm, good morning, beautiful," Beryl murmured before giving her a quick kiss.

Evie's grin widened even further in delight. "Beautiful, hmm?"

"Very much so."

"You're so sweet. And really, really cute when you just wake up all snuggly."

Beryl giggled and reached up to stroke one of Evie's furry Faunus ears with a gentle finger. "I'm not the only snuggly one."

"I've found a new appreciation for snuggles," Evie replied loftily. "Especially when you're so good at it."

"I do try."

"Good morning, you two," they heard Lustre's soft voice call out. There was an unusual undertone to her words, however.

"Hey, Lustre," Beryl greeted her partner carefully as she rose up on one arm, peering over Evie's shoulder. "Um, something wrong?"

"Did either of you hear Pip return last night?"

The couple glanced at each other and shared a quick motion in the negative. "Is she not here?" Evie asked, concerned, as she sat up.

Their silver-haired teammate sighed and shook her head as well. "She is not. Her sheets appear undisturbed, and she does not respond to my messages."

"Okaaay," Beryl drawled, becoming concerned. Pip would often in the past stay out late, sometimes not returning back to the dorm at all if she had hooked up, but she always, _always_ let the team know where she was.

"Could they have stayed in a hotel?" Evie asked, chewing on her bottom lip.

Lustre shook her head once more. "I do not believe they would have had the lien for it. Rufus spent all of his on the airship tickets." She was already dressed, sitting on the side of her bed with an air of impatience.

"Dust, Lustre, you should have woken us up," Beryl grumbled, swinging her legs around and jumping up. "Didn't have to sit there and worry all by yourself."

"I did not wish to disturb you."

Evie sighed as she went to walk past Lustre's bed, pausing to rest her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Next time, please do. Okay?"

Lustre nodded slowly, her eyes filled with concern. "Very well."

"Okay then," Evie began as she threw her bedclothes off and rummaged for a clean outfit. Beryl had already stripped, her own concern causing her to ignore the potential immodesty. "Beryl, sweetie, can you begin calling around the Vale hotels?"

"Will do," she replied briskly. When Pip wasn't around, the mantle of command fell to Evie. It wasn't a position she ever felt comfortable with, and rarely had to adopt it, but her visage was now filled with a steely determination to find their missing team leader.

"Lustre, go check with the landing pad if they've been seen," her raven-haired Faunus girlfriend continued "After that, hit the cafeteria and then the dorm common rooms. I'll go cover the library study rooms and then the training rooms. Both of you contact me once you're done."

With that the other two left in a flash of monochromatic color, leaving Beryl alone in the room as she frantically began scrolling through the list of hotels.

Half an hour later, she felt like throwing her scroll across the room in despair. Nobody by the names of Rufus Henna or Pippin Cerise had checked in to any hotel in town. Instead of giving in to the temptation, she instead mashed her finger down on her girlfriend's icon.

"Any luck?" Evie asked immediately after picking up.

Beryl shook her head solemnly. "None. You?"

The Faunus girl sighed. "No. And neither has Lustre. I was going to have us start going door to door in the dorms, but…"

"...There's nobody else here she'd be comfortable enough staying with," she finished for her. "So, what now?"

"Now," Evie stated, her voice laced with resolve. "We go meet with Professor Ozpin. Meet you at his office."

**Undisclosed Location**

Pip had several visitors throughout the day, mostly to check on her vitals or jot down some notes on whatever it was they were looking for. Each time her questions were ignored, be they pleading or angry shouts or even reasonable discourse.

Eventually, the activity across the hallway in Rufus' room picked up. Several bulky items on wheels were brought into his room, and she spotted Viridian enter as well to supervise the bustle.

Rufus was looking more than a little worried, which she could hardly blame him for.

There was a quiet _swish_ as the door to her room slid open to reveal a newcomer. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his toned stature clearly evident even under the expensive silk three-piece charcoal suit he wore. The dark-haired man, sporting a neatly-trimmed beard, adjusted his red tie as he walked over to view her dispassionately.

"And then you would be Subject Two Dash Two," he murmured in a sonorous and cultured baritone. "Heat semblance." His face changed in the blink of an eye, the startlingly intense pale green eyes twinkling merrily as a happy smile creased his cheeks. "How marvelous."

The lanky blonde cleared her dry throat. "And just who might you be?"

"Ah, and such lovely manners as well. Surprising, but I suppose it's a facade at this point, isn't it?" The man ran a finger down her arm, causing her to squirm slightly in a futile effort to avoid his touch. "My name, child, is Lord Malachite, and you are my guest here."

He turned and strolled over to the windowed wall, an obsidian walking stick that she hadn't noticed before tapping a ringing staccato against the metal floor. Staring out at the other room across the hall, he gave a quiet chuckle.

"I'm sure you cannot appreciate just how expensive, not to mention revolutionary, this process is. We've fairly well perfected it against the Grimm, but if this second phase works?" He turned slightly to peer over his shoulder at her, and she sucked in a quick breath at the manic gleam that now resided in his eyes. "That would be truly extraordinary."

"Now then," he barked, his tone suddenly changing as he walked back over to her. "I have high hopes for you and Subject Two Dash One. I do indeed hope you can survive this initial process, so that the real objective can be met." He leaned over her with an evil little leer. "And I suppose you'd like to know what that would be, hmm?"

Pip could only nod warily, unsure what to make of the man's mercurial temperament.

He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small piece of metal with a flourish. "This, my dear child, is the result of years of research and development. It's certainly smaller than the ones we use on the beasts, modified for control as well as tracking."

The blonde eyes widened as she looked at the small crescent of metal. Doubled in size, and not twisted from extreme heat, it might closely resemble the item that Ozpin had showed to her team.

And then his words seemed to finally sink in. "Control? And… tracking?"

"Oh, yes," he laughed lightly, leaning back and twirling the object in his hands like a newfound toy. His expression reflected the metaphor as he grinned in childlike glee. "We should be able to maintain autonomous control over a decent range, which will be extended if we can ever hook into the CCT… But that is a project for another day. And tracking, yes indeed, once this is in we can find you anywhere on Remnant." A mirthful chuckle escaped from his lips. "Anywhere."

He glanced at her but seemed disheartened at the look in her eyes. "Now, don't you start giving up just yet, my dear Subject. As I said, I have high hopes for you. Though, we do have contingency plans in place if the initial procedures are not successful… Plenty of other aura users with compatible semblances." Malachite's smile changed into a knowing smirk. "For example, Miss Lustre Bijou, I might be excited to see what an application of white dust might do to her…"

"Don't you dare touch her," Pip growled quietly.

Malachite then grinned, showing entirely too many teeth. "Well, then, I suggest you-"

"I WILL FUCKING RIP YOUR HEAD OFF IF YOU TOUCH HER!" the blonde abruptly screamed, spittle flying from her lips as she furiously lunged forward as far as the restraints would allow. She fell back again, panting and glaring up at the megalomaniac.

The suited man tapped his chin thoughtfully, his pale green eyes glittering. "Spirited," he smirked again before turning to leave. "I like it."

She slammed her head back against the metal table in frustration as the door hissed closed. Angry tears threatened to fill her eyes borne from frustration and helplessness, but she shook her head to dash them away.

Instead, she turned her face to see what they were doing with Rufus.

Malachite was standing in there with Doctor Viridian now, along with several lab techs. Machinery and carts surrounded the russet-haired boy, though from his shoulders and above was clearly visible. Whatever it was they were planning, and she had a sinking feeling that she knew exactly what that was, it was just about to start.

Her boyfriend seemed to snap off a few retorts to their amused host before Malachite departed. Viridian pulled a few cylinders from a nearby cart and held them up for inspection.

They glowed with an ethereal green light.

"Oh, Oum," she moaned despondently.

As if he'd heard her, Rufus turned to gaze into her eyes. His expression was full of sorrow and regret as he carefully formed three words on his lips.

"I love you too," she whispered back. "I'm so sorry…"

Rufus nodded, but then his face was screwed up in pain from whatever they'd started and he stared up at the ceiling. She watched in growing horror as the muscles and tendons in his neck stood out. As hard as he was grinding his teeth, they must be chipping at this point. And all the while, the portion of his torso blocked from her view was glowing with that sickly, otherworldly green.

"Hold on, babe," Pip cried. "Please, please hold on…"

Then his mouth extended in a rictus of agony, the green nimbus seemingly engulfing his entire body. The veins throbbing in his forehead and neck were now pulsing with the same green glow as he screamed.

Incredibly, she could faintly hear the noise from where she lay, through two sets of soundproofing. The windows to his room cracked but held, spiderweb patterns spilling forth like frost on a windshield only to stop as Rufus' eyes bulged out. Blood began to trickle from his eye sockets, his ears, his nose… And then he seemed to cough, the pink-tinged spittle shooting forth to spatter across the attendant workers.

Pip watched with unbelieving eyes as Rufus sagged back, his head lolling to the side and staring sightlessly at her.

_No… No, he can't… Please, babe, no…_

She blinked her watery eyes as a rapid progression of images seemed to flitter past her consciousness, of holding hands with Rufus while strolling through Vacuo, of times spent snuggling on a bench, his warm brown eyes like pools of chocolate gazing at her with love.

He was too good a man, not to mention a warrior, and this was no way for him to die.

Pip's head snapped over when her door opened to reveal Viridian as he sorrowfully pulled his blood-stained gloves off. His white labcoat was speckled with drops of red, standing out like crimson fall leaves against the fresh snow.

"Well, that was disappointing," the scientist sighed. "I do hope you will handle the process better, my dear girl."

"You killed him," she weeped quietly, unable to muster up the energy for the rage that she was surely due.

"Technically… yes, I suppose I did," he replied nonchalantly. He tossed his gloves into the metal wastebasket nearby. "I will need to enter my notes while they are fresh… But we can get things set up in here. You don't mind, do you?" He gave her a small, polite smile.

"Why?"

"Pardon?" he asked curiously in response to the barely audible whisper.

Pip took a trembling breath, eyeing the carts that were now being rolled into her room. Even through her blurred vision she could note the presence of several glowing red cylinders.

"Why are you doing this?" she finally managed to whisper hoarsely.

"Why? As I told you, my dear, for science!" He grinned before adding an afterthought. "At least that is my concern. My employer, whom you met, has far grander schemes."

With that, he strode out the door. Pip ignored the presence and preparations of the others, closing her eyes and allowing the tears to freely flow down her cheeks as she quietly sobbed.

**Beacon Academy**   
**Monday Evening**

Evie picked at her dinner dispiritedly. She'd managed to keep her resolve intact up until now, but with no word whatsoever on her partner's whereabouts after two days, she'd finally succumbed to the gloomy thoughts that pushed at the back of her mind.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered, blinking back her tears.

She sighed as she felt a small but strong arm encircle her waist. The Cat Faunus leaned her head over and onto the top of her girlfriend's blue crowned head.

"Don't give up hope," Beryl whispered back. "You know how Pip is, she's strong, and… and a survivor. A fighter. We'll find her."

"But Ozpin has had all of Vale's authorities looking for her," she protested. "It's like she and Rufus just vanished without a trace!"

"I have been wondering about that," Lustre murmured from across the table. Her food was mostly untouched as well, and she stared down at her plate with a small frown. "I wonder just how much manpower the authorities can bring to assist with this search. Did not Beryl's father mention the emergence of more enhanced Grimm here in Vale? What if more hunter teams have gone missing?"

Evie growled quietly. "I'm calling Oz," she stated flatly, pulling out her scroll. They hadn't heard from the Headmaster since they had arrived at his office yesterday morning, and an update was far overdue.

And if there was no update forthcoming, then she'd damn well go get one of her own.

"Miss Black," the visage of Ozpin greeted her calmly. "I was expecting to hear from you."

"Please, sir," she asked as politely as she could muster. "Can you tell us anything?"

The grey-haired administrator sighed. "We've found a broken scroll that we are fairly certain belonged to Miss Cerise, but that is the extent of it so far."

Beryl's face suddenly pressed against Evie's. "Can you tell us where it was found?" she asked with barely restrained eagerness.

Ozpin looked through the scroll steadily for the span of a few heartbeats before nodding slowly. "Indeed, Miss Beryl. It was found in the industrial district on Light Street."

Evie's face lit up, though she just gave Ozpin a solemn nod. "Thank you, Professor. Please keep us updated."

"I shall endeavour to do so," he replied softly. "And, Miss Black? Good luck."

Evie snapped her scroll shut and looked up at the others. Beryl's eyes were shining with anticipation, already on board with the unspoken plan, while Lustre was looking back at her curiously.

"Right," she began for Lustre's benefit. "Ozpin gave us implicit permission to go investigate. Where was it you saw them last?"

Their silver-haired teammate blinked her eyes. "Remnant's Fashion, two streets over."

"So, we plot a line between the two and extend it out. That's our first search area." Evie stood up, her dinner forgotten. "We're looking at the seedier side of Vale. Let's gear up, girls. We have a teammate to find."

**Vale Industrial Sector**   
**Late Monday Evening**

Evie inched out around the corner, clutching her scimitar in its sheath in a white-knuckled grip. They'd been canvassing the streets for most of the night now without success, and finally decided to split up in order to cover more area and follow some of the more sketchy leads they'd uncovered.

The Cat Faunus had spoken with a couple of her brethren who were out for a stroll, and came across some information regarding a possible kidnapping ring that operated out of the warehouse across the street from where she now stood. It was far-fetched, and she scoffed silently to herself at the notion that Pip would have been taken unawares by mere criminals, but still.

She was not about to return to the others empty-handed.

The streets seemed fairly well deserted at such a late hour. In fact, she only had another half hour until their final rendezvous before calling it a night. Before then she had to at least investigate this one final lead.

Concentrating, she narrowed her focus on a spot up on the roof of the warehouse. Just as she was about to push her aura into her semblance and teleport up there, her world exploded in a bright flash of pain as all of her muscles seized up.

 _Dao_ dropped from nerveless fingers as she hit the ground, twitching uncontrollably. Her vision darkened at the edges, and the last thing she saw were a pair of boots as they walked around her, making no sound whatsoever.

Some indeterminable amount of time later, Evie blinked her eyes open groggily. Her arms were bound behind her back and her ankles secured as well. She was inside and lying on a cold concrete floor, but most disturbing was the metal collar she felt encircling her throat.

_Oh, Dust… that an inhibitor collar…_

"Hello, kitty cat," a slimy voice called out from across the room.

She shook her head to clear the rest of her fuzziness away and glared over towards the source of the voice. Seated at a flimsy card table were three men. Noises from further into the cavernous room that she found herself in indicated there were more opponents to be found, but these three were her more immediate concern.

"Took you long enough to wake," the man smirked. "Duffy here knocked you out for an hour and a half, I think that's a new record."

"Shit, man, when are you gonna stop using my name around the merchandise?" a second man whined. He was lean and lanky, and his boots seemed to match those that she last viewed.

"How…?" she croaked.

"Yeah, it's my semblance, kitty," Duffy explained in his nasal voice. "Makes me completely silent. Very useful in creeping up on you lovely Faunus girls."

Evie narrowed her eyes as her brain finally kicked into gear, imparting a number of items to her.

Firstly, this wasn't just a kidnapping ring. From the sounds of it, they were Faunus slavers, an abhorrent practice that the Vale authorities had been working for years to stamp out. Dealing with young, pretty girls of Faunus heritage, the kidnappers would sell them to wealthy criminals for various purposes, none of them pleasant. And as such, they were unlikely to have had anything to do with Pip's disappearance.

Secondly, she was an hour overdue for her check in. Likely her scroll had been taken, along with her weapon, and the others would have no idea where she'd been taken.

And then finally, with the collar around her neck preventing her from using her semblance, she was pretty well screwed.

With a low growl she began to twist around, trying to find a weak spot in her restraints. _I can't believe I got so suckered in… Dust, what if I can't get out of this? What if I never see Beryl again?_

The first man _tsked_ at her patronizingly as he rose to his feet. "Trying to escape already, kitty cat?"

She turned her head to glare up at him, her sapphire blue eyes burning with intensity. "You don't get to call me that," she snarled.

"Well, I can call you anything I want, sweet cheeks," he laughed as he reached her side. The man knelt down next to her and she leaned away, gagging at the stench of his overpowering body odor.

"Oh, now, that's just rude," he snickered. With a quick motion, he yanked up on her arm as he stood, causing her to bite back a scream as he wrenched her shoulder painfully. "Maybe we should sample the goods first?" he leered.

"Boss don't like it if the merchandise is damaged," the third man spoke up in a bored tone.

"Well, perhaps just a little peek," the first man continued, breathing foul air into Evie's face. "Make sure she'd a decent catch and all."

He was interrupted by a fierce and altogether welcome voice that rang out through the warehouse.

"Get your _fucking_ hands off of my girlfriend!"

"What the fu-" The man holding Evie suddenly released his grip with a painful howl as a pair of dust rounds slammed into his forehead. He flopped bonelessly backwards to sprawl on the floor. Unfortunately, Evie was unable to arrest her own fall, but she twisted so that she might land facing outwards and see the events unfurl.

The other two men stood uncertainly, clutching guns in their hands. "Who's there?" the one called Duffy shouted nervously. "Ernie? Bud? You guys out there?"

"Nobody here but us shadows," Beryl's voice giggled, the sound rather frightening being as disembodied as it were. Another pair of shots rang out, and the third man clutched at his arm, dropping his gun to the floor. One more shot snapped his head up and he slouched back, unconcious.

"Shit!" Duffy barked out. "I'm outta here!"

With that, he turned and fled further into the shadows. His flight was short-lived, however, as his limp body came flying back into the light to skid to a groaning halt under the flimsy card table, miraculously not toppling it.

Lustre strolled from where she'd intercepted Duffy, and Beryl emerged from the shadows closer to Evie, though with more urgency.

"Hey, you okay, Evie?" the blue-haired girl whispered in concern. She quickly knelt at the Cat Faunus' side and used her sword to deftly slice through her arm restraints.

Evie immediately sat up and wrapped her arms around Beryl. "My hero!" she cooed before covering her girlfriend's face and neck in kisses.

" _Evieee…_ " Beryl groaned, embarrassed. "Can you at least let me cut off the leg bindings?"

"Not stopping you," she purred in reply, nibbling on the blue-haired girl's ear.

Lustre coughed into her fist as she looked over at the other side of the room. "Er, I'll just call the authorities, then…"

Beryl finally managed to capture Evie's face in her hands, stilling the rain of affection so that she might give her a simple, though loving, kiss. "What were you thinking?" she murmured once she pulled back.

"Um…" Evie cringed. "I… wasn't, really?"

Her girlfriend shook her head as she fumbled with the collar around her neck. With a twist it was off and clattering to the floor. "I'm glad I found you," she sighed.

"As am I. How did you, by the way?"

Beryl smiled softly. "Found a pair of Faunus who said they'd spoken with you earlier, gave us the same address."

"Oh. Lucky, that."

"Yeah, real lucky."

"So…" Evie stated, her eyes downcast as she became serious once more. "No closer to finding Pip, huh?"

"Not on our end. Was this the only lead you had?"

"Pretty much. I mean, I'm glad you guys bagged these assholes, getting them off the streets is a huge deal, but…"

Beryl nodded as she slipped her arm around Evie's waist, helping her to her feet. "Yeah. But still doesn't help us find Pip. We gotta get back, though. Can't get out of classes tomorrow."

"No, I know that." Evie let out an irritated huff. "Pip would have our asses if we skipped out on class."

"You know it."

"And there's always later tomorrow. We can come right back out after our last class."

Beryl nodded as they began to walk out towards where Lustre had gone. "Absolutely." She paused to deliver an absent-minded kick into the face of the first kidnapper, knocking him back out again.

Evie sighed, closing her eyes briefly. _Pip, wherever you are… just hang on, alright, girl? You hang on, and we'll find you. Someday soon, I promise you that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did something a little differently here, usually each chapter is done in the voice of only one of the girls. For this one, each section is in a different voice, first Beryl, then Pip, and finally the last two are Evie. And… yep, first major character death. This is definitely gonna have some repercussions.


	18. Infection

**Volume 2** **  
**

**Beacon Academy**   
**Wednesday Morning**

Lustre sighed as she sat up in her bed, smoothing down her white kimono sleepwear. Reflexively she glanced over towards the other side of the room, knowing what she would see but still hoping beyond hope that the past few days had been just a bad dream.

Beryl and Evie were curled up upon the Cat Faunus' bed, the smaller girl on her back with the other curled up against her chest. The raven-haired girl was beginning to stir, her ears twitching slightly as her girlfriend's breath ghosted across them from where she lay and her tail beginning to swish lazily. On the other side of them…

An empty bed.

She shook her head morosely. For two nights they'd been out in Vale, actively searching for any sign of their missing leader. But it was as if the streets of the town had simply swallowed Pip and her Vacuo boyfriend Rufus up without a trace.

The futility of it all was beginning to wear on Evie, who wore the temporary mantle of leadership uncomfortably at best.

A thought occurred to her, causing the dusky-skinned girl to smile softly. Being a good teammate meant not just supporting each other, but also recognizing when they needed help. Or, in this case, perhaps a little relaxation.

She eased herself off of the bed and padded quietly over towards the others, extending a hand to gently shake the slumbering Cat Faunus.

As soon as she touched her, Evie's eyes shot open. "What-"

Lustre quickly clamped her hand over her friend's mouth. "I will be going to breakfast," she murmured. "And it occurred to me that our first activity of the day is with Professor Lazuli, who would not object to the two of you missing one simple combat class."

Evie's eyes crinkled as she removed her hand. "Are you telling me to stay in bed with my girlfriend?" she asked with quiet amusement.

"I am not suggesting anything at all," she replied loftily, but with amusement dancing in her eyes. "How you spend the first part of your day is entirely up to you. I shall see you at lunch?"

Evie nodded and gave her a wink. "Love you, sweetie."

"And I love you as well," she replied warmly. Turning, the silver-haired girl strode over to her dresser and quickly dressed for the day. She grabbed a few books, one of which was a novelization of the Reclamation and Rebuilding eras of Beacon following the Event, shot Evie one more smile, and then left the dorm room, closing the door quietly behind her.

_Well, then. I have the morning to myself. I should take the time to relax as well._

She went through the breakfast line in the cafeteria, distracted by a conversation with the chef who'd found a new bounty of searingly hot spices that he wished to test out on her. She eagerly agreed and promised to let him know if this dish actually managed to make her eyes water this time.

She sat at her usual place, setting her books beside her tray that held an omelet in a peculiar shade of green. Eyeing it curiously, she took a cautious bite of it and chewed thoughtfully.

_Not bad. The spices do not overpower the flavor… Faintly woody, with a hint of… cinnamon? Quite pleasant._

She glanced over at the kitchen and gave the expectant chef a thumbs up, to which he smiled back amicably and shook his head as he walked into the back once more.

 _You shall have to do worse than that to break my record,_ she thought to herself smugly.

She was about to crack open her book when a friendly voice called out to her. Lustre glanced back up to see one of the few friends she had outside of her team approaching.

"Hello, Raye," she greeted the IRIS teammate warmly. "How have you been?"

"Oh, you know, getting by," the chestnut-haired Wolf Faunus replied with a small smile. Her furry ears were pressed against her head, indicating her true mood. "What about you? Have you… found anything at all?"

Lustre shook her head with a sigh. "No, nothing yet. I am confident we shall eventually…"

"But will you find her in time?" Raye whispered worriedly. "I mean… what if she were taken by those… monsters we keep hearing about?"

She shook her head once more, her messy silver locks swaying in the air. "No, I do not believe that is a possibility as it happened inside Vale. The disappearances occur outside the walls." She shot her friend a tight grin. "And besides, she and Beryl defeated one already. She would not let any Grimm best her."

Raye nodded, her ears perking up once more. "Well, alright then… Listen, you guys need anything at all, you let us know, okay? Even if it's covering for you while you're off searching. Anything at all."

"Thank you, Raye," she smiled warmly. "I appreciate the offer."

Once her friend left, she was once again left with her own thoughts, dismal as they might be.

_She is not entirely wrong. The longer it takes to find Pip, the more adverse consequences might accumulate. But what else can we do?_

Lustre finished off her omelet and stood to place it on the conveyor belt to carry it back to be washed. Her books in hand, she headed off towards her combat class with a heavy heart.

Surprisingly, Professor Lazuli met her at the door.

"Ah, Miss Bijou! Marvelous, I was hoping to see you. Are your teammates on their way as well?"

"Um, no sir," she replied hesitantly. "That is, I was hoping to allow them some time off from our… evening activities. That is, to rest up in anticipation of another long evening."

The nondescript man nodded, looking about before gesturing her to follow him into the classroom.

"Class, we will be starting soon. First opponents are up on the screen, please prepare yourselves." He continued to walk, Lustre on his heels, until he entered his office and closed the door behind them.

The room was comfortably cluttered, as befitted a veteran huntsman, with trophies, weapon manuals, broken-down weapons, and even a mask that she recognized as being from the historical White Fang. Lazuli gestured towards one of the stuffed chairs in front of his desk with his baton. "Please, have a seat."

Lustre settled down and looked at the professor expectantly. He did not take his seat but instead paced restlessly behind the large desk, overburdened by papers and books.

"What I am about to tell you… I cannot reveal the source of. Suffice to say I trust this source implicitly." Lazuli paused to regard Lustre with solemn but still piercing blue eyes behind his spectacles. "I have information on your team leader's wherabouts."

The silver-haired girl immediately perched on the edge of her seat. "You do? Please, sir, can you tell me where?" she prompted eagerly.

Lazuli tapped his baton against his desk, gazing sightlessly through the wall. "Normally such information would be immediately turned over to Ozpin," he continued quietly. "But there are a number of extenuating circumstances. The first being my source, who needs to remain anonymous. The second, my knowledge that it would take some time to assemble a proper rescue, depending upon the ongoing duties of hunters that would allow for it."

He finally plopped himself down into his high-backed chair with a tired sigh. "And lastly, I have the utmost confidence in your team to handle this rescue attempt all on your own."

"We can do this, sir," Lustre nodded confidently. "Please, give me the details and we shall be on our way immediately.

Lazuli nodded firmly, extending his hand for her scroll. She complied, and received it back within seconds. "Coordinates have been input. Opposition should only consist of a number of android guards, as the bulk of the facility has been moved out of Vale. You must hurry, as Miss Cerise is scheduled to be moved as well by nightfall. Just… be prepared. She might not be in the best shape."

"And is Rufus Henna with her?"

"I am uncertain as to the fate of that young man, but I do know he is not with Miss Cerise. Now, go, you must hurry. I will make a Bulldog available for your use, and after your departure, I shall provide my own authority to Ozpin to allow your mission."

Lustre nodded and bounced out of her seat, energized beyond measure.

"Miss Bijou."

She paused at the doorway. "Sir?"

"I am entrusting your team with this… mission, well beyond the scope of what mere students should be able to accomplish." He gave her a hard smile. "Do not disappoint me."

"We won't let you or Pip down, sir," she replied softly. With a final nod, she raced out of the office and across the classroom, ignoring the shocked outburst of the assembled students. She pushed her semblance and made it up to her dorm room in under a minute.

"I have news!" she exclaimed, bursting through the door excitedly.

She blinked her eyes, taking in the scene before her.

Both Evie and Beryl were still in bed, though both were partially unclothed. In fact, each one was missing their shirts.

And they were both taking avid advantage of that fact.

Three simultaneous screams echoed throughout the room as Lustre whirled back around, only to smack her nose into the door that had closed behind her in her shock.

"I am sorry! I am so very sorry!" she wailed. Though, as she was holding one hand over her injured nose, the other being over her eyes, what came out was more, "Ib em sobby! Ib am so berry sobby!"

"Great hairy Grimm balls, Lustre!" Evie yelled. From the rustling behind her, she could tell her two teammates were scrambling to retrieve their clothing from wherever it had landed. "What the actual fuck?"

She gave her tender nose one more rub before dropping her hands. "I do apologize, truly! But I have Pip's location!"

"You do?" Evie squealed, followed by Beryl's excited cheer. "Where? Where is she?"

Lustre held up her scroll and wagged it in the air, still not looking around. "I have the coordinates. A Bulldog is waiting, courtesy of Professor Lazuli, but we must hurry! Please, gear up quickly!"

"Okay, okay, we're on it!" her blue-haired partner replied excitedly. "Um, you can turn around now, if you like…"

"That is quite alright. I am perfectly fine as I am."

Some things, once seen, cannot be unseen.

**Somewhere Over Vale**

Lustre eyed her fellow teammates as they peered out the window anxiously, deciding that she needed to break the silence.

"So… Are the two of you, er… more intimate, now?"

Both Beryl and Lustre blushed brightly. "Oum, do we need to talk about this?" her partner moaned softly.

Evie shook her head, still gazing out the window. "We owe it to her, sweetie. And to answer your question, Lustre… sorta?"

"That is not an answer."

"It is so."

"Evie…" _Yes, Cat Faunus are naturally stubborn, but you do take it to all-new heights._

Beryl finally spoke up again. "We haven't actually, um… had sex." Her voice squeaked on the last word, which caused Evie to glance over at her girlfriend with an indulgent smile.

"I see." Lustre nodded thoughtfully. "Still, I do apologize again for… interrupting. Perhaps we should create a system to allow you use of the room. A signal of some sort?"

"Well, I thought the 'I'll see you at lunch' was a pretty good signal, myself," Evie commented sarcastically.

"Er, yes, well…" Lustre blushed. "That is very true."

"In the future, though, we'll be sure to send a message to your scrolls," Beryl piped in. "Something like, 'don't enter unless you want to incur the wrath of a Cat Faunus'."

Evie reached over with her tail and fondly bopped Beryl on the nose. "I don't think that would deter Pip," she snarked.

"Perhaps not," Lustre agreed. "But if you made your desire for privacy known, both she and I would respect it."

They sat in silence for another minute or two before Beryl spoke again.

"We're gonna find her there, right?"

"Yeah," Evie replied softly, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend. "We will, sweetie."

"We're almost at the drop point," the pilot interjected over the comm. "Fifteen seconds to drop, we'll circle and stay online to wait for your call."

The three girls stood as the side door opened, the wind shrieking past them and into the bay from their rapid speed. Lustre's eyes darted about, searching for the clearing she knew to be there.

"I see it," Evie barked, clutching her scimitar. "Meet you down there."

With that she disappeared, teleporting down. Beryl shared an amused glance with her partner.

"May as well join her," the blue-haired girl smirked.

"Indeed." Lustre pushed herself out into the air as they passed what she could now tell was a clearing in the trees, just large enough to accommodate a Bulldog. True to their word, their transport circled about at a distance while the two girls plummeted downward.

Lustre twirled her staff, firing several rounds at the ground to slow her descent. She landed in a crouch, her rifle to her shoulder as she sought out targets. Beryl landed with a clatter of armor, her shield out, carbine clutched in a firm grip, and her face a mask of stony resolve.

Evie waved to them from the edge of the clearing. "Found a door!" she called out.

They quickly joined her to investigate the portal. It was heavily reinforced and set into a small mound of grass.

"Don't suppose we have floor plans?" Beryl quipped.

"No, I am afraid not," Lustre replied evenly. "We shall have to do this the hard way."

Evie chuckled lightly, pulling her scimitar out. "Well, then, let's give them a nice big welcome, Team Pearl-style."

Lustre and Beryl stepped back as the Cat Faunus flipped a switch on the hilt of _Dao_. Then she flung it downwards in an overhanded arc, the concussive blast shattering the reinforced steel door and blowing it down what appeared to be a long staircase. It clattered and bounced along the corridor, smashing through a number of androids who were coming up to intercept them.

"Honey, we're home!" Evie called out.

"Hope you kept dinner warm!" Beryl sang out as well, leading the charge down the steps with her shield held in front.

Lustre snickered softly as she brought up the rear, _Winter Contus_ still held to her shoulder as a rifle. She had an odd family, to be sure, but they were fiercely protective of each other. And she knew their joking was simply their eagerness at finding the lost head of their little family unit, bleeding over into humor. She certainly couldn't fault them for that.

"You may need to put the door damages on our tab, however," she shouted over her teammate's heads.

And there was nothing wrong with joining in, either.

Several androids rounded the corner at the end of the stairwell, barging up with their rifles blazing. She returned fire as Beryl blocked most of the shots with _Dahl_. Her carbine barked several times, dropping more of their opponents, while Evie waited patiently for them to enter an open enough space for her to operate in.

Now that she was able to get a good look at them, Lustre thought she recognized the style of the androids. They weren't military, nor were they top-of-the-line. Definitely corporate, from the descriptions she'd read in her books, but from whom exactly?

She shook herself out of her ponderings as they reached the bottom. In any case, there was no logo to be seen, so they may as well just deal with the ones that remained there.

The chamber they found themselves in extended several stories below the platform they stood upon, with an observation room directly across from them. Some frantic activity could be seen in that room, sentients scrambling to organize resistance against the incursion currently underway.

Not that they'd give them the chance to do so.

"Lustre, Beryl," their temporary leader barked, gesturing towards an elevator at the end of the platform. "Get to the bottom, I'll meet you down there."

"Can you make that?" Beryl asked worriedly.

Evie shot her a grin. "Watch me."

And then she did just that, blinking across the space and into the windowed room. They could see her explode into motion, ruthlessly dealing with those she found inside.

"She can take care of herself, dear," Lustre reminded her teammate as they ran for the elevator.

"I know," Beryl grumbled. "Doesn't mean I won't worry."

They rode the elevator down in silence, listening to the watered-down music that filtered in from the speaker overhead.

"I hate elevator music," Beryl growled irritably.

"Yes, dear," Lustre signed affectionately.

"No, I mean it, it's an affront on the senses. I'm taking an elevator, not taking a nap! Then once I'm at the end of the trip, I'm all sleepy! It'd be better without any music at all!"

The silver-haired girl just shook her head in amusement, not deigning to respond to her partner's ranting.

Thankfully the doors opened soon thereafter to reveal a grinning Evie.

"Took you guys long enough," she snarked.

Beryl snorted and stood up on her tiptoes to give her a quick peck on the lips. "You're just lucky you're so damn cute."

"Too true, too true," Evie sang out as she skipped ahead of the pair, across smoking android wreckage strewn across the lobby. "Oh, do mind the mess."

"Did you find anything?" Lustre asked.

"I did indeed." Evie paused and gave them a broad smile. "Subject holding cells, right this way." She turned to the right and started walking down the corridor, now more cautious and with her scimitar held outwards.

"'Subject'?" Beryl murmured.

Lustre shook her head solemnly. "That does not sound promising."

Several hundred feet and a dozen broken androids later, they arrived at what must have been the cell block. Three solid metal doors lined each side of the chilly concrete passageway, even more heavily reinforced than the one aboveground. Five of the doors were open, the one remaining door at the end sealed shut and with an electronic keypad.

The three girls stood around and stared at the entry method.

"I don't suppose any of you know how to crack a lock like this?" Evie asked hesitantly.

Beryl shook her head. "Sorry, didn't have that sort of upbringing."

"Maybe there's another key or something on one of the androids?"

"I think they'd just open it remotely, using their neural interface. What about from the control room?"

Evie sighed. "No, I checked that before I left, there was no option to do that from there."

"So, what do we do now? If we break the door down, it might hurt Pip inside…"

Lustre stepped forward. "May I try something?"

Both Beryl and Evie retreated to give her room. "By all means," the Cat Faunus replied expressively.

The silver-haired girl nodded before planting the end of her staff on the keypad and squeezing the trigger. The key mechanism disintegrated in a bright flash, revealing sparking wires and twisted metal as she brought _Winter Contus_ back down to her side.

The door popped open slightly with a creak of hinges that badly needed oiling.

Her two teammates stared at her in awe. "How did you know to do that?" Beryl whispered, impressed.

Lustre shrugged with a small smirk. "I had a hunch."

Evie shook her head, wordlessly pushing past them and into the darkened room as she sheathed her scimitar. The light allowed from the hallway showed a huddled naked form in the corner, curled up and in a fetal position. Her blonde hair spilled out like a grimy, bloody yellow blanket.

"Pip," her partner breathed, rushing forward but resting a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey, sweetie, we're here."

The form shivered slightly before peering up from beneath the curtain of matted hair. "Evie?" she croaked. "Am… am I d- dreaming?"

"No, sweetie," Evie sobbed in relief, leaning down to hold her friend to her tightly now. "We're here, I promise you, and we're gonna get you out, okay?"

"O- Okay," Pip whispered hoarsely.

"Can you walk?"

"I d- don't think s- so…"

Evie reached under her friend, picking her lanky form up in her arms as if she weighed nothing. She turned to the others, her eyes blazing with determination as Pip trembled miserably in her embrace.

"Clear a path," she ordered quietly. "We're leaving."

Beryl nodded and strode out of the room, Evie right on her heels. Lustre wordlessly took rear guard once more, her weapon held ready.

Her eyes were troubled, however, as she reflected on the state of the cell that they'd found Pip in. The bare concrete walls had been lined with scorch marks as if there had been a great conflagration inside.

She didn't like the implications of that one bit.

**Beacon Academy Infirmary**

The three exhausted teammates sat on a bench outside the room where Pip lay. It was a familiar enough situation for Lustre and Evie, having gone through the same thing when Beryl had been critically injured in the Vytal Festival tournament. It was a different infirmary and in a different kingdom, but the place seemed familiar enough nonetheless.

They looked up as a grey-haired figure entered the room. "Good afternoon, students," Ozpin greeted them genially. "I was happy to hear of your successful rescue today."

"Thank you, sir," Evie whispered tiredly. "Do you know how her... condition is?"

"She is stable," he replied hesitantly. "But…" He sighed as he took a seat across from them, leaning on his cane. "Miss Cerise has been changed somewhat during her imprisonment. It would appear that she has been… experimented on."

Evie quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, horrified, while Beryl's eyes bulged out in shock. Lustre felt the tears form at the confirmation of her suspicions.

"It is like the Grimm that she and Beryl fought, is it not?" she whispered hesitantly. "They did something to her, because of her semblance…"

Ozpin nodded morosely. "We're working on figuring out how to reverse or treat it… But that will take some time. For now… you may visit her. Just, please do try and keep her calm."

The three friends stood and walked hesitantly into the room where their leader was resting. Pip immediately looked up at them, a wan smile on her face.

"Hey, guys," she murmured.

Lustre walked around the far side of the bed, while Beryl and Evie stood with their arms around each other for support. The room was filled with blinking and beeping monitoring machines, and several intravenous lines were run into her arms. She had never seen her friend look so… deflated. Shrunken.

Defeated.

"Can we get anything for you?" she whispered.

"Nah, I'm good, babe," the blonde reassured her with false cheer. Her hair was clean and silky again, laying out across her pillow like a fan, a far cry from how they'd found her.

The Cat Faunus sniffled. "I wanna jump on you and hug you and snuggle you and never let you go," she confessed quietly. "But I don't want to hurt you, either."

Pip smiled, a forced and brittle thing. "Can't hurt me any, kitty cat. Not… any more than I already have been."

Evie finally let the tears flow and lunged forward to land on Pip's chest. "I'm sorry we took so long to find you!" she wailed inconsolably.

Unfortunately, she neglected to release her hold around her girlfriend before her plunge, and so Beryl was brought along for the ride. She managed to wiggle out from under Evie's arm that was pinning her but remained leaning against Pip with a watery smile. "Glad to see you back again, Pip."

The blonde reached up with a hesitant hand before gently scritching in between Evie's Faunus ears and returned Beryl's smile with a small one of her own, this one less forced. "Glad to be back, babe," she replied solemnly. "And don't any of you feel guilty about waiting to find me, okay? You did find me, and that's all that matters." Her voice was growing stronger as if she were drawing strength from her teammates being in such close proximity. Lustre picked up on this and quickly stepped forward to lay a hand on her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Pip closed her eyes tiredly. "You guys found me… I knew you would, I knew you'd find me before they could take me away… I just…" She let out a shuddering sigh. "I wish I could forget what they did to me." The last was uttered in a barely audible whisper, but one that almost caused physical pain in Lustre to hear.

"You know we are here for you now," Lustre murmured reassuringly. "We will not prompt you to tell us anything, but when you are ready, we shall listen."

Pip's eyes remained closed, though tears began to leak from them and trail down her cheeks as she drew in a shuddering breath. "There was so much pain," she whispered brokenly.

Evie and Beryl sat up abruptly at her words, looking at her in concern. "Pip," Evie breathed. "Sweetie, you don't have to-"

"It hurt so, so very much," Pip continued as if she hadn't heard her. "But that wasn't the worst of it, if it were just me, I could have… could have handled it… but…"

Lustre's hand flew off of her friend's arm as she noticed the skin temperature begin to rise. She stared at the arm in front of her with incredulous eyes, unsure if she were really seeing what her senses were telling her.

"They…"

Pip's veins began to glow, the crimson color increasing with her anguish.

"They started on him first…"

The glowing extended throughout her body, as the temperature in the room increased. Where her hands lay on the bed began to smolder, the tendrils of smoke drifting up lazily in the air conditioning of the infirmary room.

"I watched him die…"

Pip's fists clenched, and wisps of fire began to lick up from them. The intravenous tubes melted off, spilling fluid onto the floor, and alarms began to beep insistently.

"He's dead..." the blonde choked desolately, the tears evaporating from her cheeks as soon as they escaped from her eyes.

"Pip, please, you must calm down!" Lustre shouted in a panic, breaking the others from their trance.

The blonde didn't listen, just tossed her head from side to side without opening her eyes. The singed spots under her hands were spreading, and if they didn't do something soon she might catch the entire bed on fire. _Where are the Dust-damned nurses?_ she thought angrily.

And then Evie did something incredibly brave, as well as incalculably idiotic.

She threw herself onto Pip once more.

"Pip, stop it!" she screamed, burying her face into her partner's shoulder and clinging to her tightly. As soon as she reached her, parts of her torso began to smolder where she brushed up against Pip's clenched fists. "Pip!"

And then the blonde sucked in a shocked breath, gasping loudly as if she'd been hit in the face by a bucketful of ice-cold water. Indeed, the temperature in the room quickly climbed back down again, the red in her veins dulling until they were no longer visible.

Finally, the door to the room slammed open to admit a rush of nurses and doctors. They attempted to pry the sobbing Cat Faunus off of their patient, but that act was inhibited by both of the girls now clinging tightly to each other, as well as the firm interference by her other teammates. Eventually, Ozpin himself entered the room to restore order, and they were left with just the head doctor and one nurse, who was frantically trying to reattach the intravenous tubes and clean up the mess.

"We'll need new sheets," she was grumbling irritably.

"Later, Nurse Olive. If you are done, please leave us," the doctor commanded briskly. Ozpin stood aside to allow her exit, and then closed the door again, standing in front of it to bar any further interruptions.

"Feeling better now, Miss Cerise?" the doctor asked in a far more kindly tone.

Pip nodded wearily. "Um, if it's okay… Can Evie stay like this? She's keeping me calm."

The Cat Faunus was now curled up across Pip's lap like an oversized housecat, her arms and tail wrapped around her partner's midsection.

Beryl chuckled from her spot next to Lustre. "Good thing I'm not the jealous type."

Both Evie and Pip shot her an amused grin before returning their attention to the doctor.

"That's fine for now. I think we might have been able to discover some medicine for your, er, condition. I was actually on my way to discuss this with you when you had your… incident."

Pip nodded, sitting up straighter. "You have a cure?" she asked excitedly.

"Not exactly, no… What we can do is give you a shot, it will need to be readministered daily."

"What exactly will this shot do, doctor?" Lustre inquired politely.

The doctor sighed as he crossed his arms. "Understand, please, that this is the best we can come up with for now, unless we get more data. As you might have heard, the followup investigative team that visited the site of your rescue found only a smoking crater."

The four team members glanced at each other warily. They most certainly had _not_ heard about that.

"In any case, to answer your question… What this shot will do is dull your aura. Doing so will also cause your condition to recede down to manageable levels. There are a few side effects, however."

"Okay," Pip whispered hoarsely. "Such as?"

"You will be unable to access your semblance. The lowered aura levels will also weaken you physically and emotionally." He held up a hand to forestall the protest on Pip's lips. "Think of your condition as an infection. Not one that can travel to others externally, but rather throughout your body. Extreme emotional states, as you have seen, will trigger the infection to spread, or flare up. This medicine will keep it in check until we can figure out a better solution."

Lustre cleared her throat as the others digested the doctor's words. "What are the consequences of not taking the medicine?" she asked, knowing it would be on Pip's mind.

"If this remains unchecked…" The doctor sighed, glancing down at the floor. "Rampant emotions will cause it to spiral out of control. What you did today to subdue it won't always work, and if it gets out of control… I don't know if you could stop."

Pip blinked uncertainly. "Meaning…?"

"Meaning there's a high probability you could self-combust."

The silence in the room was thick enough to cut with Pip's _Odachi Dahlia_  until Beryl finally spoke to summarize pretty much everyone's feelings on the matter.

"Well, Grimmshit."

**Undisclosed Location in Atlas**

The suited man relaxed in his chair behind the desk of his newest office. He made sure that each lair had this room created to his exact specifications, replicating to the most minute detail the study that had existed in his ancestral home.

It gave him a sense of continuity. Not to mention a balm on his temper, something that he would be drawing upon for the upcoming meeting.

As expected, the door to his study opened to reveal the petite form of Whisper. "My Lord, your visitors have arrived," she stated deferentially before stepping back with a bow.

Damian Schnee strode past his diminutive subordinate, the hereditary blue eyes hard as the proverbial ice. Malachite hid the smirk behind his careful mask of indifference, noting that he had switched tailors for his white three-piece suit to match his own charcoal one.

Behind the Schnee Dust Company CEO walked his younger sister, Frost. As usual, she wore an impractical-looking miniskirt and tube top outfit with an abbreviated short-sleeved jacket and tall boots, all in the usual white color motif. At her side was the ever-present _Myrtenaster_ , the heirloom weapon made famous by the legendary huntress Weiss Schnee.

Malachite knew that, despite the air of confidence and authority that Damian carried himself with, his sister was the far more dangerous of the siblings, at least when it came to physicality. Not that Malachite had needed to get his hands dirty in a very long time.

That's what underlings were for, after all.

"Mr. Schnee," he greeted the approaching man, injecting his voice with warmth. "To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"Vale," Damian replied shortly, his white goatee trembling as he tried to contain the emotions that surely raged inside of him. "What the hell happened?"

Malachite waved his concerns away with a careless hand. "Do not concern yourself with that, at best it was a minor setback for a side project."

"I thought Phase Two was integral to the plan?" the Schnee elder bit out.

"Not at all. Phase Two would have accelerated things nicely, but in the long run it was unnecessary. And as far as the Vale facility is concerned, it was research and development only. The staging area is still protected and whole, there was no way to link the two of them. In fact, I took care of the breached facility myself."

"Yes, with a giant Dust-damned crater," Damian growled irritably. "Is this what you call keeping a low profile?"

Malachite slowly rose to his feet, his pale green eyes glittering. "No, my friend, I call it a necessary casualty in the opening stages of my grand war that we are about to embark upon." He gave his partner a hard smile. "You aren't getting… cold feet, now, are you?"

The white-haired man sighed, deflating slightly. Malachite was amused to note that Frost relaxed almost imperceptibly as well, sensing that the need to intervene had passed. "Not at all, Lord Malachite. I was simply concerned about any of this leading back to… us."

 _You mean back to yourself._ He nodded amicably and returned to his seat once more. "Do not be concerned with that. All of the androids you have provided for facility security have had any identifying characteristics removed. There's no other way for them to be traced back, correct?"

Something flashed across Damian's eyes which immediately put him on edge, as fleeting as it was. "No, of course not," the head of the Schnee family assured him smoothly.

_Interesting. Why would you lie about this, Damian? What have you overlooked, and will it cause me problems in the future?_

Unfortunately, he still needed the Schnees at this point in time, and so could not jeopardize his relationship with them just yet by demanding, or extracting, answers.

Not just yet.

"Very well then," Malachite smiled. "If there is nothing else…?"

"No, indeed. Thank you for your assurances, I'll leave you to your work."

Damian and Frost turned to leave, but before they did so the sister froze, her eyes widening as she noticed something in the shadows clustered around the far corner of the room.

_Ah, yes my dear, it's unwise to drop your guard around here._

Soon enough she completed the turn and followed her brother out. Whisper closed the door behind them and departed to escort them back to the surface.

He waited for a few heartbeats before speaking again.

"Leech."

From the corner of the room came the tall, gangly form of his most trusted henchman. "Yes, My Lord?"

Malachite sat back in his chair, his eyes glittering dangerously. "There are… loose ends that need tied up."

Leech smiled, the action causing his face to pull back in a grimace that made him appear even more skeletally gaunt.

"Those are my specialty," he replied with just a hint of eagerness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for the making with the rescuing! Now Pip just has to deal with the fallout from her ordeal… And, just as a side note, I really am having fun writing Evie and Beryl's relationship. Quite adorable.
> 
> I felt like I had to push this one out quickly, leaving with the last chapter on such a down note, especially after the Season 3 finale. Apologies especially to TacoKing23 for doing such terrible things to the emotions of my followers and readers. I mean, yeah I meant to do that anyways, but the finale just compounded it unnecessarily. I'd rather rip your metaphorical hearts out all on my own, thank you very much.
> 
> Wait, that didn't really come out quite right…


	19. Betrayal

**Volume 2** **  
**

**Beacon Academy**   
**Thursday Morning**

Pip let out a soft sigh as she lay on her bed, staring up at the same darkened ceiling she'd been observing for the past few hours.

Unsurprisingly, it hadn't changed in that time.

She should be feeling some relief that she was finally in her dorm room with her team, in her own bed, and out of that thrice-Dust-damnable infirmary room. Happy to be moving on, free to mourn the horrific death of her boyfriend who died within her eyesight but so very far out of reach. She should be at the very least pleased to have the chance to start putting things behind her. Instead, all she felt was…

Numb. Empty.

The blonde huntress-in-training could barely even muster enough irritation with herself to properly sigh.

She shifted, drawing her feet up under her and smoothing her red nightshirt down as she sat upright, leaning against the wall that her bed bordered. Her coral eyes roamed around her room, taking in the others. Her team and family, the ones who came for her. Dragged her out of the hell she'd been dumped in.

That, at least, managed to eke out a smile, very slight but filled with unadulterated affection. _Well, at least I can still feel that. Oum, I love these girls so much…_

In the bed nearest her, the larger of the pair of huddled dark shapes moved slightly, as if turning her head to the side. Bright sapphire eyes regarded her levelly in the dark, still an hour at least from sunrise.

"Can't sleep?"

Pip shook her head slowly, knowing her partner's Faunus eyesight would easily see her no matter how murky it was. "No," she whispered back simply.

There was a rustling of covers that went on for almost a full minute as Evie carefully extracted herself from Beryl's embrace so as not to wake her. Then the mattress sank next to her, and a warm body was leaning up against her other side, head on her shoulder.

Evie reached over to place a hand over the ones she held loosely in her lap. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The blonde shrugged listlessly. "I just… I can't _feel_ anything."

Her Cat Faunus partner sighed softly, rubbing her thumb in a circle along the back of one of her hands. "It shouldn't last much longer. They only gave you a higher dose to get you through the night and the next day. Then you'll get on regular doses, which shouldn't be as bad, right?"

Pip shrugged again, not enough to dislodge her friend from where her head rested. "Maybe. But what if it _is_ as bad? What if… I'm always like this?" She took a deep breath and on the exhale, tried to push as much of her frustration out as she could. It didn't work, though, her emotions remained tightly locked within her, like the secret to Ozpin's longevity.

"You can't know that for sure," Evie murmured reassuringly.

"But I can't ignore the possibility, either," she whispered back through numb lips.

She could feel the tears that threatened to spill forth, willed them to do so, but they refused to make themselves known.

Her partner sighed again, snuggling up closer to her. "Well, then we'll face it together like we do with everything. As a team."

Pip smiled again, still wanly but with a very small hint of the vivacious, effusive girl she'd been just a week ago. "Yeah. As a team." She paused for a few heartbeats. "That's really the only thing I can feel, y'know? The only thing I can seem to care about."

"What's that?"

"You guys."

"Aww, still the flatterer."

The blonde snorted softly. "Yeah, well…"

"I know, sweetie," Evie said softly. "I love you, too."

They sat like that until the sun rose, just comforting each other and providing the validation they needed to renew their bond as partners and friends. Sisters.

Finally, their blue-haired teammate rolled over to peer bleary-eyed at the pair of girls.

"Why'd you kidnap my girlfriend?" Beryl mumbled sleepily.

"She didn't kidnap me, silly," Evie chuckled. "I'm just keeping her company."

"Well, now I'm cold."

"You're whiny when you wake up early, you know that?"

Beryl nodded as she wrestled with the covers to extract herself. "True 'nuff." She finally stood, swaying slightly by the end of Evie's bed, before pulling the top cover off and wrapping it around her like a cocoon. Then she shuffled over and wordlessly flopped onto Pip's bed, her head in Evie's lap, and promptly began snoring softly once more.

The Cat Faunus laughed lightly and used her unoccupied right hand to gently stroke her girlfriend's hair. "She insisted on sleeping in my bed tonight, did you know that?"

"She did?" Pip asked neutrally.

"Mmhmm," her partner continued. "Said she wanted to be close to you on your first night back. She's been worried about you. I think it's that protective side of her, she always feels like she has to keep everyone on the team safe."

Pip nodded slightly. "I'm sorry I worried her," she murmured. "Sorry I worried all of you."

Giving her hands a squeeze, Evie reached over with her tail to bop the blonde lightly on the nose. "Stop that. You're being down on yourself again."

"Sorry."

"I swear to Oum, Pip…"

A soft sigh from across the room broke into their conversation. "Is this a private party, or may anyone join?"

Pip peered into the dim light cast through the curtains from the early morning sun. Lustre was now sitting up as well, adjusting her kimono around her torso.

"Always room for one more, babe," she said with just a trace of snark in her voice.

The silver-haired girl walked around Evie's bed, dragging her own cover with her. She crawled over onto Pip's other side, laying her blanket across the three of them and then placing her head in a mirror position to Evie's.

"Better?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," Pip replied. "Much."

Pip smiled once more as Lustre rested a hand on top of Evie's, covering her own. It was a warm, genuine smile for the first time in days.

Soon enough, unfortunately, the alarm went off to signal the start of another day of classes. Pip could have gotten out of them, of course, but she was behind enough as it was and she was determined not to miss any more. Groaning, she sat upright and stretched much like the girls on either side of her were doing, though Evie's was far more sinuous and cat-like.

"C'mon, sweetie," Evie quietly prodded as she shook Beryl's shoulder. "Time to get up."

The blue-haired girl simply snuggled further into her cocoon, mumbling incoherently.

Lustre laughed as she headed for the bathroom first as was her usual routine. "You may need to resort to more drastic measures, Evie," she commented over her shoulder.

Pip watched affectionately as her partner leaned down over Beryl, pulling the covers aside to reveal the side of her face. "If you don't wake up, I'm gonna have to wake you up…"

Beryl just screwed up her nose before murmuring once more, seemingly in her sleep.

"Is she actually asleep?" Pip asked curiously.

"She won't be for long," Evie replied smugly. With that, she leaned down further and gave Beryl a long, wet lick up the side of her cheek.

"Mmm, yeah, you know I like that," Beryl moaned sleepily.

Evie bolted upright again, her face brightly crimson. "Oh. Um…"

She turned to regard her blonde partner who was snickering merrily. Pip could feel the humor wrap itself around her like a warm hug, and it was like color had returned to her world again. She didn't know how long it would last, likely not very long at all, but she relished in the sheer joy she was now feeling.

The snickers turned to giggles and then guffaws, tears of joy streaming down her face as she clutched at her belly.

Beryl finally woke up to that, glancing up between her grinning girlfriend and her team leader who seemed to be laughing like a loon. "Um… What'd I miss?"

That just sent both of the other girls off into more peals of laughter as they leaned against each other once more.

"Fine," Beryl huffed as she scrubbed her oddly wet cheek with her sleeve. "Be that way."

By the time Lustre was done with her shower, the others had calmed down somewhat. Pip clung desperately to her good mood, feeling as if it could slip through her fingers if she didn't concentrate on it.

"So," she said briskly as she tossed her nightgown to the side. She'd gotten a shower last night as soon as she'd gotten there, eager to wash away the sterile infirmary scents. "We should put the bunk beds together today, huh?"

"That sounds great!" Beryl cheered blearily. "We got everything together, just need to do the drilling and stuff!"

"Should be fun, maybe we can start right after lunch."

Evie nodded as she started dressing as well. "I think that's a good plan. You okay with that, sweetie?"

Beryl nodded as well, yawning widely as she shucked off her sleepwear with unusual immodesty. "Works for me."

"Why, Beryl," the blonde girl snickered lightly. "You become an exhibitionist while I was gone?"

Her blue-haired teammate froze, staring at Pip as if she'd just realized she was there. Then, with a mortified _squeak_ , she fled over to her dresser, covering herself as she ran.

Evie leveled a finger in her direction. "Pip, you're just lucky I'm feeling charitable. Now, stop picking on my girlfriend."

Pip grinned widely, fully enjoying the warm feeling that still clung to her. "Aww, don't be like that, kitty cat. I thought she was gonna put on a show for us!"

"No, I most certainly was not!" Beryl squawked as she hurriedly pulled her school uniform on. "And you can put some clothes on too, you know!"

Pip glanced down at her bare chest. "Huh, how about that. Guess I could do so." She stood, stretching languidly again, before padding over to her own dresser and started pulling out what she would wear for the day.

Before too long the four of them were heading down the hallway and towards their first class of the day. Since the quarter started, they'd been taking Advanced Aura Techniques together, which they all had found rather interesting. Lustre, in particular, was fascinated by the various uses of one's aura above and beyond simply powering a person's defense or semblance.

Each step she took, however, seemed to seep more grey into Pip's world. It was like the happiness she'd felt earlier was slowly draining away, leaving her once again feeling dull and lifeless.

Evie must have picked up on it quickly enough, as she linked her arm through Pip's and just gave her a somber smile. "It'll be okay, Pip," her partner whispered, seemingly aware of how useless any other platitudes might be. "We'll get through this."

Pip could only nod numbly as they walked through the classroom doors and shuffled up towards their seats.

Once Professor Persimmon began her lecture, the blonde girl was constantly struggling to focus. She tried taking notes, but after awhile frowned at the unintelligible scribbles she'd written and decided to give it up as a lost cause.

Eventually, though, the topic turned to something that managed to actually catch her attention.

"Aura transfer," the professor stated briskly, writing the words up on the large chalkboard behind her. "A very rare talent, or so we thought up until the last decade or so. Can anyone tell me what we discovered to change how we view this subject?"

A silver-haired Wolf Faunus in the front row raised her hand. "Ma'am. They discovered that aura transfer simply needs an existing bond between the two subjects to work."

"Partially true, thank you, Miss Bernard. In fact, the presence of an existing bond or link between the giver and receiver of the aura transfer can aid the procedure immensely, but it's still not a sure thing. Some rare individuals can perform an aura transfer between strangers, but even those untrained have a significantly better chance of doing so if a bond exists."

Another student, a skinny blond boy sitting in front of Pip, raised his hand in question. "Ma'am, when you say 'bond'... what exactly do you mean?"

"By 'bond', I am referring to an emotional link," the professor explained. "Be it familial or romantic, even a very strong and long-lasting friendship, the most effective and powerful of these bonds is love."

Pip glanced over at Evie and Beryl who were grinning at each other foolishly while holding hands under the table. She felt a brief pang of loss, but it was gone just as quickly as a piece of driftwood along the rapids on a river.

"Now, one caution, and this will be on the exam so please take note. The aura transfer can be effective in assisting with the healing of most wounds. But care must be taken not to transfer too much as the donor might be damaged in the process."

Pip nodded to herself. _Makes sense, if you give someone your lifeforce then you don't have enough for yourself._

Professor Persimmon moved onto another topic soon thereafter, that of detecting an opponent's aura level without needing a scroll, and the lanky blonde's attention once again drifted elsewhere.

After lunch the girls were back in their room, happily working on assembling their bunk beds. Beryl had drilled the holes in the beds while the others put the blocks together with the steel rods bisecting them. Once done, all four lifted one bed at a time to set atop the bottommost one before pushing them back against the walls.

"Well," Beryl exclaimed in satisfaction. "I think that looks awesome."

Evie giggled and wrapped her girlfriend up in a hug. " _You're_ the awesome one, sweetie! So handy with the tools! Among other things…"

Beryl blushed brightly as Evie gave her tiny kisses along the side of her neck. " _Evieee_ …"

Pip walked over to the left-hand bunks and levered herself up to the top. She sat on the side, swinging her feet slowly. "Feels nice and sturdy, too," she murmured distractedly.

"Indeed," Lustre assented as she climbed up on her own top bunk. "However, I believe we should purchase a couple of small shelves to hang above our bunks to place items, such as our scrolls."

"Hey, good idea, Lustre!" Beryl grinned at her partner after Evie stopped her ministrations. The Cat Faunus did not relinquish her hold on the blue-haired girl, however, and merely towed her along to sit on Beryl's bunk under Lustre. The couple sat with their arms around each other while Pip stared off into space, rubbing the back of her neck.

"You have been doing that quite often," Lustre commented quietly, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Pip asked intelligently, looking over with a blank look on her face. "Doing what?"

"Rubbing the back of your neck. You were doing so in class and during lunch." Lustre gazed at her with perceptive and concerned eyes. "What is the matter?"

The blonde sheepishly brought her hand down back into her lap. "It's… nothing."

Her silver-haired teammate sighed softly. "I seem to be saying this quite often lately… but it is not nothing if it bothers you."

"It's just…" Pip swung her feet around so that she might lay back on her pillow. "Okay. So, the last stage in the… procedure. What they did to me." She swallowed hard. "It was to implant a control unit. I got the impression it was gonna be, um… at the base of my skull, I think."

"A… control unit?" Evie asked quietly, as if unsure if she'd heard correctly.

Pip nodded slowly. "Like the twisted hunk of metal Oz showed us, that's what controls the Grimm. He showed it to me…" She shuddered slightly, unable to say his name, though the others were there for her full report to Ozpin in the infirmary.

"It was a tiny little piece of what looked to be metal. And it would let them… control me. And track me."

"But they did not find any such device," Lustre reminded her gently. "The doctors did a full scan while attempting to diagnose you."

"Yeah, I know," the blonde whispered. "I keep wondering, though… What if it didn't show up? Or if it's made of something other than metal? I wasn't really in a great state of mind then, didn't get a good look at it… What if…" She sighed, feeling the lethargy being edged away by something unwelcome.

"Well, then," Evie spoke up with firm conviction. "We're just gonna have to find this Malachite asshole and make him tell us what he did to you. Or that other guy, what was his name? Viridian?"

Pip gave a small flinch at the mention of each name but kept her gaze upon the ceiling. "I should be out there, tracking them down…" she murmured.

"No, _you_ shouldn't," her partner replied. The Cat Faunus stood and marched over to Pip's bed, laying a reassuring hand on her arm. " _We_ will, once we get some leads. You are _not_ gonna go off by yourself, you hear me?"

She smiled wanly, turning her teary gaze over to her friend. "Okay."

Pip's scroll vibrated at the point, and she shifted to pull it out of her pocket. She glanced at the screen, startled to see Professor Ozpin's face. "Oh, hello Professor. What can I do for you?"

"Miss Cerise, hello. Are your teammates with you?"

"Yes sir, they are."

"Excellent. I just received word that some friends of yours from Vacuo are en route to visit Beacon to pay their respects."

Pip blinked uncertainly, bolting back upright again. "Team… Turquoise?" she whispered dumbly.

"That's correct. They'll be here this evening. The primary purpose for their visit will be to assist some in our investigation, as we are still attempting to determine how certain individuals learned so much about you and Mr. Henna." She flinched again, violently this time, on hearing Rufus' last name. "But they did express an earnest desire to meet with you and your team beforehand."

Pip nodded slowly. "Thank you, sir. We'll meet them at the platform."

"Very good." Ozpin gave her a solemn nod. "And do remember, Miss Cerise, I am here for you if you need me."

"Right. Thanks again, sir." She closed her scroll and let it fall into her lap from nerveless fingers.

"Pip?" Beryl inquired quietly. "What's wrong?"

"I can't…" Pip sucked in a quick breath, exhaling to dispel the negative emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her. "I can't face them." _Why is it so much easier to feel the negative emotions?_

"Why not?" Evie asked, still standing next to her bed. Her reassuring grip had shifted over to her knee, giving it a squeeze.

"Because…" Pip closed her eyes. She was almost relieved when a tear escaped, proof that she could still feel, even if it was guilt.

"It is not your fault," Lustre murmured adamantly, still atop her bed. "You did not let Rufus die. It is the fault of those who took you."

The blonde nodded rapidly. "Yeah. I know, I do." _Or at least, that's what I keep trying to tell myself._ "Look, I think… I need to take a quick nap before dinner, okay? It's gonna be… tiring."

"Well, we all got up early," Evie smiled affectionately. "Maybe we could all use a cat nap."

Pip gave her a small grin. "Aww, listen to you with the kitty puns."

"Shut it, you," Evie laughed as she walked back over to Beryl's bunk to snuggle down with her. "Let's just all get some shut-eye, I'll set my alarm."

Pip nodded, lying back down to stare at the ceiling once more.

_Right. Because sleep seems to come so easily to me nowadays…_

**Beacon Academy**   
**Thursday Evening**

Team PERL waited at the edge of the landing pad. The airship from Vacuo was pulling directly up there to drop off the surviving members from the team of Shade students.

 _I suppose TQS still works for Turquois,_ Pip thought to herself gloomily. _Not that they'll ever be the same as a team, though._

The lumbering airship glided to a halt, soon thereafter disgorging Tara, Q, and an unusually somber Sunny.

The three of them made an immediate beeline for Pip, much to her chagrin.

She opened her mouth timorously, but before she could speak Tara held up a hand. Her eyes were bloodshot, but her gaze unrelenting.

"Before you say anything at all," the purple-haired team leader stated levelly. "You need to know we don't blame you, okay? None of this was your fault, we're not here to make you feel worse. The opposite, in fact. We're all concerned for you and what you went through, it's why we wanted to see you."

Pip nodded slowly, sad tears welling up in her eyes. Dimly she realized that she must be on the tail end of the suppressor medicine if she was able to express her feelings this easily again, and so resolved to rein them in as much as possible.

She sucked in a long trembling breath before enveloping Tara in a tight hug. "I'm so, so sorry…"

"I know, honey. I know." Tara sniffled into her shoulder as she clung back just as tightly. "I am too."

The blonde accepted hugs from both Q and Sunny as well before they slowly made their way towards the school. She glanced aside as Sunny made her way over towards Beryl and Evie, both of whom looked a little nervous.

"Hey, you doing okay?" the Fox Faunus gently asked Beryl.

The diminutive blue-haired girl nodded. "Yeah, much better now that we got Pip back."

Sunny grinned, her usual chipper self poking out. "And you're with Evie now, right?"

"Yeah," Beryl smiled softly, clasping hands with her girlfriend. "Yeah, we're together now."

The excitable orange-haired girl let out a soft squeal and unexpectedly wrapped Beryl into a warm hug. "Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Then she stepped back, only to jump at Evie next and give her the same treatment. "And you too! I'm _sooo_ happy for both of you, and you'll be great for each other, I just know it!"

Beryl and Evie shared a bemused glance over the effervescent Fox Faunus' head, which made Pip chuckle slightly.

_See, these are the feelings I need to cling to, the happy ones. Just keep thinking about my teammates, my family… and push the negative ones aside._

_At least until I can get my medicine again… then I can just go back to feeling… nothing._

The thought didn't do much to cheer her up further, but she shoved it to the back of her mind as best she could, resolving to just enjoy what little time she had with TQS while they were there.

**Beacon Academy**   
**Friday Morning**

Beryl stretched as she rose from her seat in the bleachers of their combat class. Professor Lazuli had let them out early, which worked well for Team PERL as they were going to get some team training in today before the weekend.

Their team leader had gotten her next shot first thing that morning, a fairly low dosage to start with. They wanted her to judge its effectiveness over the day, and so Pip decided to both test that as well as get herself back up to combat-ready speed.

"Did Turquoise leave already?" Evie asked curiously as they filed into the locker room to retrieve their weapons.

Lustre nodded, pulling _Winter Contus_ out and giving it a tight spin. "Yes, they left first thing this morning. It was a pity we could not visit with them more."

"Yeah, true," Pip replied quietly. She slid her greatsword into the sheath on her back, but her face did not have any of the joy it usually contained when handling her baby, _Odachi Dahlia_.

Beryl shared a glance with her girlfriend, but Evie just shook her head slightly. _Well, I suppose as her partner, Evie would know her mood best. She'll let us know if we need to intervene._

The four of them headed back into the classroom and towards the exit, their eventual destination being the training rooms in the next building over. But a sudden thought brought Beryl up short.

"Oh, hey," she called out. "I wanna talk to the Professor really quick, okay? Be right there."

The others nodded, Evie giving her a quick peck on the lips before they walked out the double doors. Beryl turned and headed towards the other end of the arena where Lazuli's office resided.

_Never got the chance to thank him for the tip that allowed us to rescue Pip… I know he can't tell us who his source was, but at least he can pass our thanks on to them as well!_

As she approached the door, she could hear her combat instructor speaking with someone on his scroll through the cracked door. She stopped at a respectful distance to wait for him to finish, but a single word broke through her consciousness and made her attention sharply focus on the ongoing conversation.

_Did he just say… 'Malachite'? Maybe he's discussing him with Ozpin or somebody?_

More words drifted over towards her as she cautiously inched forward, feeling slightly nervous about eavesdropping but still wanting to catch anything that might help Pip and what she went through.

_Something about a base in Atlas? Hmm, maybe he got word of where he moved, that could… Wait, what?_

The last three words echoed through her brain like a gunshot, stunning her.

"Yes, My Lord."

_Oh, Dust, no… No no no no… He can't…_

But she heard him. She heard him address the caller… And then after a pregnant pause, she heard him utter the phrase that irrevocably damned him.

"Very well, Lord Malachite, I'll make sure of it."

That caused a startled but soft gasp to escape from her as she backed away from the office, unwilling to listen any further.

Beryl turned and started to walk rapidly back towards the classroom door, her head buzzing chaotically with what she'd just learned. Before she could reach the exit, however, it slammed shut in front of her.

The blue-haired girl whirled around to see Professor Lazuli approaching, a remorseful look on his face as he slipped his scroll into a pocket in his tweed jacket.

"Oh, Miss Beryl," he sighed apologetically as he tapped his baton against his leg in time with his slow steps. "I am so sorry you had to hear that. The one time I leave my door ajar…"

She looked between him and the now-closed exit. Of all the things whirling about in her confused head, the more immediate of her problems demanded the most attention. "How…?" she asked.

"Ah, yes. Well, you see my dear, my semblance involves telekinetic pushes. It's enough to keep you inside for now, especially with as reinforced as that particular portal is." The combat instructor came to a halt in the middle of the room, approximately tournament regulation starting position distance from her. "It's a pity, since you were one of my favorite students… But I do need to eliminate you now. You understand, of course."

"What…? No, I don't understand any of this!" Beryl exclaimed in confusion. "Why? Why would you be working with him, that… that _monster_ who took Pip?"

"Monster? No, not at all, Miss Beryl. I prefer the term… _Visionary_."

Lazuli whipped his baton to the side, extending it into a slim and deadly-looking rapier.

Beryl turned without another word and started to run for the door, only to skid to a halt as Lazuli soared overhead to land in front of her in a crouch.

"I am so very sorry, Miss Beryl, but this needs to be done. Be still, and I shall be merciful."

Her earlier confusion and panic receded to be replaced by seething anger, the likes of which she hadn't experienced before.

The rage born from betrayal.

Wordlessly she slipped her shield down into her hand and drew her sword. She began backing up slowly, both _Shashka_ and _Dahl_ held at the ready.

"Really?" Lazuli chuckled mildly, pushing his spectacles up on his nose. "I was hoping you would be smarter than this." He made a _tsking_ sound as he began to stalk forward. "You can't win against me. I trained you, dear girl, I know all of your tricks, all your weaknesses."

The last word made Beryl pause, thinking back to her instructor's last words to her before she departed for the Vytal Festival regarding her propensity for remaining on the defense during the opening stages of a fight. _Well, alright then. Let's change things up a bit._

With that, she charged.

Lazuli's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected offensive maneuver and was unprepared for the shield bash that rocked him backwards. Beryl let out an angry and defiant roar as she began to attack furiously with _Shashka_ , seamlessly alternating between sword and carbine in a furious dance while she kept pressing him with _Dahl_. She moved as she'd never moved before, not even when faced by the monstrous opponent in the tournament, as she battered him for all she was worth.

But it wasn't enough.

Lazuli managed to finally slip a quick strike from his rapier in between her stance, piercing straight through her aura and into her right shoulder. Beryl let out a scream as she staggered back, dropping her sword from nerveless fingers.

"As I told you, my dear," Lazuli sighed remorsefully, walking forward as Beryl scrabbled backwards, desperately holding her shield up. "You never had a chance at-"

His words broke off as the door behind them slammed open. A thoroughly enraged Pip stood there, sword in hand and panting slightly from what must have been a sprint.

_Oh thank Oum, she must have been waiting around the corner for me and heard the scream…_

"What the actual _fuck_ is going on, Professor?" the blonde team leader demanded, her eyes narrowed dangerously at the blood trail Beryl had left behind.

"He's working with Malachite!" Beryl shouted, still crawling backwards from the combat instructor. "I heard him on his scroll!"

Lazuli hung his head and sighed deeply. "Did you really need to get Miss Cerise involved as well in her weakened state? Especially with everything I did to help you find her?"

Pip growled quietly, advancing on steady feet to interpose herself between him and her fallen teammate. "Then, why? Why did you help me if you're working for… for that _bastard_?"

Lazuli shrugged indifferently, circling the pair cautiously. "A moment of weakness, I suppose. I had grown rather fond of you girls, but I was hoping to keep my involvement with your rescue quiet. And as for Lord Malachite?" He chuckled quietly. "You must understand what he will accomplish, what his vision means for the four kingdoms. No more elitism, no more training children to fight monsters. I am tired of seeing those I mentor be sent off to die. He has promised an end to all of this."

"Do you actually even know what he's doing?" Pip asked incredulously. She kept herself in between Beryl and Lazuli, turning as he did. Eventually Beryl noticed the edge of Pip's scroll peeking out of her belt behind her waist. And it was active.

_Incoming reinforcements in three… two… one…_

"Enough of this," Lazuli interjected. "Do you really think the two of you can do any better than Miss Beryl alone, the two of you now far less than able?"

"How about the four of us?" Evie's angry voice chimed in. Beryl glanced over to the door with a grateful smile to see her girlfriend and partner enter, weapons drawn and primed for combat.

"Well, then," Lazuli smirked. "Finally, perhaps a bit of a challenge. I will still have to kill the four of you now, but I suppose that will tie things up nicely. And entertain me as well."

Lustre raced forward without further warning, her staff spinning to release several dust rounds before engaging the professor at close range. Pip surged forward as well, her greatsword swinging.

Both of the girls were immediately thrown backwards as Lazuli swept his arm out, his semblance causing them to land on their backs unceremoniously. Neither stayed down for long as they grimly kept up the pressure, allowing Evie the space to race over and towards her downed girlfriend.

Without warning, once the Cat Faunus skid to a halt and crouched over Beryl, she leaned over to give her a hard kiss.

Beryl gasped into Evie's mouth, her back arching as the raven-haired Faunus pushed her aura into her with all the love and warmth she could. Her shoulder flared briefly before the wound sealed up, and her eyes shot open. The petite girl dimly noted that the two of them were enveloped in a white glow, tinged with blue on the edges. After only a couple of seconds, Evie pulled away with a concerned look in her eyes.

"Did it work?" she murmured worriedly.

Beryl nodded, rolling her shoulder around and feeling little pain. Between her own aura and Evie's, it had closed up far quicker than it should have. "Um, y- yeah… How did you know to do that?"

Her girlfriend shot her an impish grin. "After our class yesterday, I looked the process up. Y'know, just in case."

Evie stood and offered a hand, allowing Beryl to regain her footing. "Well, then, I'll make sure to do the same!" she exclaimed wonderingly, still feeling the warm after-effects of Evie's aura flowing through her.

"Later," Evie snickered as the blue-haired girl bent to retrieve _Shashka_. "Right now, the others need our help."

Beryl nodded wordlessly, setting herself into a combat stance and wading forward determinedly.

The four girls were certainly at the top of their school as far as combat rankings went. Perhaps in the top ten to twenty or so student teams in all of Remnant. Faced with a full-fledged huntsman, however, and a skilled combat instructor to boot…

It was a rather daunting proposition.

They pulled out as many combo attacks as they could, pressing the veteran hunter hard as they attacked from all directions. Unfortunately, none of them had loaded dust chambers, so that hindered them from the start. In addition, as Lazuli had previously stated, he had trained them and knew their maneuvers all too well.

Both sides staggered back after a bit, the Professor having imposed himself in between the team and the exit once more. Pip tried to surreptitiously slip her scroll out to call for assistance, but a quick blast from Lazuli's semblance sent it skidding off across the room.

"I must admit," the bespectacled man commented, breathing just as heavily as the girls. "This has been more of an effort than I expected. Either I'm out of shape, or the four of you have been improving since I worked with you last."

Beryl narrowed her eyes at that, glancing over at her leader. The blonde had a light sheen of sweat across her face, and her sword was glowing dully, though there didn't seem to be any change yet with her veins.

_Well, guess that answers the question about her medication, definitely need a stronger dose. Now, about our improvement… We've certainly come up with a few new tricks just since heading to Vacuo..._

"Evie," Beryl murmured quietly. "Do you have enough juice left for a Blue Bomb?"

Pip chuckled at that. "And you thought my names were dumb?"

"Shut it. It's a good name. Evie?"

"Yeah," her girlfriend agreed with a sharp nod. "It'll drain me, though."

"Alright then. Pip, Lustre?"

Her blonde leader gave her a tight grin, hefting her sword that was glowing brighter by the minute. "Oh, yeah. We got this."

With that, both Pip and Lustre raced forward once more, dodging Lazuli's attempts to push them aside with his telekinetics. They circled the combat teacher, keeping him rooted in one spot while keeping his attention on them as well.

Evie stepped over and wrapped her arms around her diminutive girlfriend. "Hold tight, sweetheart," she murmured.

With that, the two of them blinked up and into the air, perhaps ten feet over Lazuli's head. Evie let go of Beryl before teleporting back down again, dropping to one knee in exhaustion.

The blue-haired huntress-in-training landed feet-first on top of Lazuli's shoulders, taking him by surprise and flinging him onto his stomach, thereby knocking the wind out of him. She quickly scrambled for purchase on his back before activating her semblance, pinning him into place much as she did with Quicksilver in their team sparring.

The prone man grimaced irritably, swinging his weapon up and behind him to slice into his tormenter, but Beryl kept her shield down to protect her legs. And then Pip strode forth with a furious expression, swinging her glowing sword down in a wide arc.

Lazuli let out a scream as his sword went flying off to the side, his hand along with it.

Lustre dropped to the ground next to Evie, panting lightly as she used her staff to remain upright. "We did it," she exclaimed in wonder.

"Suppose we did," Evie murmured. "But now what?"

"Now what?" Pip snarled angrily, pacing back and forth by Lazuli's head. "I'll tell you now what. Now we end his miserable, traitorous existence!"

Beryl looked up in concern to see the blonde, still with a full head of steam worked up. Her veins were now pulsing dully as her medication was burned away, likely between the adrenaline and extreme emotional state.

"No, Pip… Please don't," Beryl pleaded with her earnestly.

"Listen, sweetie, you gotta calm down, okay?" Evie chimed in, struggling to her feet.

"Yes, Miss Cerise, that will be quite enough. Thank you."

The four girls whirled at the sound of the smooth voice. Both Ozpin and another familiar figure at Beacon entered the room, their glares fixed on the prone professor.

Glynda Goodwitch had been a fixture of Beacon Academy for almost as long as Ozpin himself. She had aged a bit, her hair now a steely grey and lines creasing her face that seemed to be etched into a permanent frown. Her clothing was certainly a bit more demure than the photos of her younger years as well. But the Assistant Headmistress carried herself with an undeniable air of authority as she marched inside the combat arena, her crop swinging in her hand.

"Ozpin, wait, I can explain," Lazuli gritted out against the pain of his severed limb, bleeding out on the floor of his classroom.

"Save it, Atticus," the grey-haired Headmaster intoned. "We watched the entire event on the security feed. Hence our arrival."

Goodwitch nodded as she stepped forward, ready for any further signs of treachery. "We apologize for not arriving earlier, students," she stated levelly. "It's a bit of a walk from the tower."

"And these bones aren't getting any younger," Ozpin chuckled mildly. He looked down at Lazuli's bleeding hand before eyeing Pip's still-glowing sword. "Miss Cerise, do you mind?"

"Huh?" Pip blinked uncertainly before noticing where Ozpin was indicating. "Oh, yeah… it'd be my pleasure."

With a smirk she advanced on her former mentor, sword extended.

"What are you... " Lazuli began questioning, before breaking off with a shriek as Pip pressed the side of her white-hot sword into the wound, cauterizing it shut. His head flopped onto the floor as the pain rendered him unconscious.

"Thank you, Miss Cerise. Now, if you would, Miss Beryl, please release your prisoner? I thank you as well. Glynda, he is all yours."

"Yes, Professor," she replied levelly once Beryl had hopped off, using her own telekinetic power to bind and drag Lazuli behind her as she stalked out, her high heels clacking against the hallways tiles.

Ozpin sent an amused glance at her retreating back before turning to face the four weary team members. The adrenaline had worn off by now, and they were all feeling the physical pain from their wounds, as well as the despondent feeling from having their mentor, a man they all had both liked and trusted, turn on them.

"Cheer up, now, ladies," the Headmaster smiled. "Consider that you all just took down a violent traitor who also happened to be a full-fledged and veteran hunter. You should be proud of what you did today." He took a sip from his ever-present coffee cup before tapping his cane on the floor. "We will, however, take things from here. I suggest you all retire and relax for the remainder of the day."

"Can we be kept up to date on what you find out?" Pip inquired, trying to hide her eagerness.

Ozpin regarded her levelly. "We shall see."

He turned to go but paused. "Oh, and one last thing. You should stop by the infirmary again, Miss Cerise. I will authorize a small dose of your medicine to help you through the night."

"Thank you, sir," Pip murmured. He watched the grey-haired man leave and then turned to her teammates. "Well," she sighed. "I suppose we should-"

She broke off as Beryl finally gave in to her inclination and tackled Evie, dragging her to the ground and kissing her enthusiastically.

Pip and Lustre shared a grin. "Yeah…" the blonde murmured, not that either one of the couple was listening. "We'll just meet you guys in the room, then."

They walked off, laughing softly in amusement, as Beryl showed her girlfriend the depths of her affection.

Unnoticed by both, a very light glow surrounded them. It was a swirling kaleidoscope of white and blue, shimmering softly in tune with their heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, well that was a long chapter! I honestly wonder if anyone saw the thing with Lazuli coming. I'd written him as a bad guy from the beginning, actually.
> 
> I'm kinda excited for the chapters that round out this particular story arc. As of now they should be around chapters 24 and 25, very combat intensive as I've choreographed them. Plenty of things to happen in between now and then, of course! Sometime before chapter 26, though, I need to plan out the next story arc. I mean, I know what the overall theme will be, I just need the details planned out. Details, man, details!
> 
> Now, I need to discuss something else. A lot of what Pip describes as side effects from the aura inhibitors is quite similar to the effects of antidepressants. For the record, I've been on them before. I didn't like them, I didn't like the way they numbed me or suppressed all my feelings both bad and good. BUT. I do not in any way denigrate those who do take them, or require them to function. Depression is a real and very serious mental illness, and if a person requires medication to survive it, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I just wanted to make that clear.


	20. Covert

**Volume 2  
**

**Beacon Academy**   
**Saturday Morning**

Evie lay on her side, gazing down at her girlfriend's arm as Beryl lay slumbering and curled up next to her. It sounded an odd thing to be doing, to be sure, but what was really entrancing her right at that moment was what happened when she brushed her hand just over the surface of Beryl's forearm and sent a gentle pulse of her aura along with it.

In the wake of her hand, a very faint light drifted, a swirling mixture of pure white and brilliant cerulean blue.

She'd been doing it for nearly a half hour now, and still couldn't seem to wrap her head around it.

So intent in her observation was she, that she missed the movement of Lustre as she walked across the room to crouch at her bedside.

"How are you doing that?" the silver-haired girl whispered, barely audible.

Evie's hand froze as she looked up guiltily. "Um… I dunno?"

Lustre shook her head, gazing wondrously into the Cat Faunus' eyes. "Evie, dear… That looks like an Aura Bond."

"A what now?" She hadn't missed the emphasis Lustre had placed on the last two words, figuring they carried a good deal of import. Before Lustre could reply, however, Beryl began to stir.

"Why's everyone havin' a conversation over me?" the diminutive girl complained sleepily.

"Sorry, sweetie," Evie whispered, abashed. "It's just… well, here. Look."

She did her slow sweep of her hand again, trailing the gentle kaleidoscope of color along the arm of her girlfriend. Beryl's light bronze eyes were wide open at this point, staring down in awe.

"That is so cool," she murmured. "Can I try?"

"Yeah, just send a small bit of aura along… Oh. Yep, just like that."

Beryl followed her own hand and subsequent wash of colors with an avid gaze as she trailed it along Evie's arm, all the way up to her shoulder.

"What did you call it, Lustre?" Evie asked softly. "An Aura Bond?"

Lustre knelt the rest of the way down, resting her elbows on the edge of the bed and her chin in her hands. "Yes, I read some about it in the recommended texts from the Advanced Aura Techniques class."

"Oh, yeah, that's how I learned about how to actually do an Aura Transfer. But I don't remember seeing anything about a bond…"

"It was further along. Supposedly something that can evolve from doing a Transfer, if the two are…" Lustre cleared her throat, seemingly embarrassed. "Er, are you certain the two of you have not, um… engaged in sex?"

"I'm fairly certain I would have remembered that," Evie replied dryly.

_An Aura Bond… I'll have to read up on that, I wonder how similar it is to a Faunus Mating Mark?_

"Unless it was in your sleep!" Pip joined in unexpectedly, her long blonde hair preceding her head over the side of the bunk above them. "Been known to happen!"

"No, Pip," Beryl sighed, still blushing brightly from when the subject of sex had first been raised. "Why are we even discussing this?"

"Firstly, because Pip owes me ten lien." Lustre grinned at Pip's exclamation of dismay as she was reminded of her unsuccessful bet. "Secondly, because it is something that has, to my knowledge, only been known to happen between lovers."

"Well…" Evie squirmed slightly, her eyes darting about. "We've, um… fooled around, some."

"Yes, I do recall that," Lustre replied in the same dry tone of voice Evie had used previously.

Beryl reached back to pull the pillow over her face. "Why am I here for this conversation, again?" she wailed, her words muffled.

"But still…" Evie gazed fondly at her girlfriend's antics as she tried to block out everything. "Um… Yeah, okay, I don't know where I was going with this."

"Well, I do not know for certain, but it certainly does sound like what I read about." Lustre regarded the pair of them affectionately. "In any case, I think it is very sweet."

Evie smiled softly, going back to running her hand along Beryl's arm once more and watching the colors as they glided by. "Why do you suppose the colors are that way?" she mused quietly.

The pillow formerly serving as a bastion against embarrassment was brought down to reveal Beryl's curious face. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I get the blue, that's obviously your aura. You glow that way when you trigger your semblance. But white?" She shook her head slowly. "My aura's always been dark-colored, the flash that it makes when it flares out after I take a hit that drains it."

Beryl sat up, looking intently into Evie's eyes, her bronze orbs warm and inviting. "I know why," she whispered.

"Um… okay, why?"

The blue-haired petite girl suddenly grinned widely. "'Cause you're my white knight."

Evie barked out a quick laugh. "No, no if anything you're my knight, there's no way I'm anything like that… I mean, just this week you were the one to save me from those kidnappers, and-"

She quickly sobered as Beryl reached over with her small calloused hand and gently cupped her cheek. "But you already saved me," she murmured earnestly. "When you said you loved me."

The Cat Faunus was at a loss for words and could only sit there wide-eyed and with her bottom lip quivering. Seeing her frozen like that, her girlfriend leaned the rest of the way forward to press a slow, sweet kiss on her lips.

"Oh my Oum, you two," Pip sighed amicably. "This is better than a romance novel."

"I quite agree," Lustre commented. "We should film them, sell the rights to a reality show."

"Lustre, I think you're on to something there…"

"We could install cameras around the room…"

"Yeah, and follow them all around, taking vids of 'em day and night…"

Evie broke away from the kiss to shoot her other teammates a glare. "Don't make me sic Beryl on you two comedians."

"Ack, no, anything but that!" Pip giggled, her coral eyes twinkling merrily. "A fate worse than dismemberment!"

"When did I become the big bad threat in this team?" Beryl wondered idly, her hand still on Evie's cheek while her thumb rubbed lightly along it. The action made Evie's eyes flutter shut as she let out a soft purr.

"You have always been our valiant protector, dear Beryl," Lustre proclaimed with a smile. "I am sure your new role of enforcer will not be a heavy mantle on your strong shoulders."

Evie's eyes shot open, and she grinned as her tail flicked over to slap Lustre's arm lightly. "Hey, stop trying to steal my girl with flattery, you."

Her girlfriend's partner rolled her eyes as she gracefully rose to her feet. "Oh, no, Evie has discovered my nefarious purpose," she intoned in a sarcastic monotone. "My plans are foiled. Whatever shall I do."

As Evie prepared her retort, a scroll sounded from somewhere in the room. Three of the girls looked up at Pip, the only one who used hard rock guitar riffs as her notification.

"Oh! Right, that'd be me!" The blonde mane of hair disappeared to be followed by Pip's cheerful voice as she answered the scroll.

 _She sounds so much like her normal self,_ Evie thought to herself sadly. _And then in another hour, after her aura inhibitor shot, she'll be back to her new, gloomy persona..._

"Sure thing, Professor, we'll be up in a bit!" their blonde leader was saying excitedly. Her head poked back over, once again followed by a curtain of hair. "Guys, we need to gear up, Oz has info for us from Lazuli, and wants us to follow up on a lead!"

"Yesss!" Beryl exclaimed. In her haste to escape her girlfriend's bed, her feet got tangled up in the sheets and she went tumbling over the side to land face-down on the floor. "Ow."

The Cat Faunus peered over in concern. "Um, you okay, sweetie?"

"Yep, you betcha, only thing damaged was my pride."

The subtle click of a scroll taking a picture was the only warning as Pip grinned victoriously. "Ohhh another one to add to the collection!"

Beryl growled as she twisted around, glaring at the upper bunk. "Pip, I swear to Oum, I'm gonna set fire to your bed in your sleep."

"Not while we're in mine, please," Evie asked calmly.

"Well, no, that's what we have my bed for. Yours would be a lost cause at that point."

"Ladies," Lustre sighed as she strode over to her dresser. "Mission? Professor Ozpin? Does any of this sound vaguely familiar?"

Beryl gave one last kick at the sheets encircling her legs. "Right, right… If I can just get away from these Dust-damned restraints…"

Laughing, the Cat Faunus leaned over to help her embattled girlfriend. "I'll have to remember how easy it is to ensnare you in these," she giggled.

Beryl blushed brightly as she sat up, now free of the constricting sheets. "Um…"

"Damn, Evie, didn't know you'd be into bondage," Pip laughed heartedly as she hopped down from her bunk, stripping her red nightshirt off as she walked towards the bathroom.

"I… Uh…" Evie blinked, knowing her face was blushing just as brightly as Beryl's but unable to form any sort of coherent sentence.

Lustre sighed, deciding to come to their rescue. "Perhaps we can agree for now not to mention this again?"

"Seconded!"

"Agreed!"

"Very well, now get dressed you two!" Lustre shot them an affectionate smile as they scrambled for their combat outfits.

A half hour later the team was assembled in Ozpin's office. The grey-haired Headmaster sat behind his desk, imperturbable as ever and sipping from his mug of mysterious elixir.

"Ladies, thank you for your prompt arrival." He tapped a key on his desk, causing a three-dimensional map to rotate into focus. "This is the probable location of Malachite's research and development base in Vacuo. It has apparently been abandoned but may contain clues that would lead us to other bases. I would like your team to retrieve this information."

"Yes, sir," Pip replied, her coral eyes shining with excitement. "We won't let you down."

Beryl leaned forward slightly. "Do you have any idea of the opposition, sir?"

"Indeed, so far as I know there should only be a few android guards in place, much as you found at the Vale base. Be cautious, however, as this is not a certainty. Also…" Ozpin tapped thoughtfully on the handle of his mug with a finger. "There is also the possibility of some sort of self-destruct mechanism, the likes of which demolished the Vale base before it could be further investigated."

"Right," the blonde leader nodded thoughtfully. "Get in, get the info, and get out before the base can be blown up."

"I will supply your team with several storage devices, similar to scrolls," Ozpin continued. "They can interface with any console you come across. Gather as much as you are able."

"If I may, sir?" Evie interjected, deciding now was as good a time as any to state what had been bugging her for some time. "Did you find out from Prof- Er, from Lazuli, about how Malachite found out about… the two students?" She didn't want to name Rufus, knowing it was still a topic of considerable pain for Pip.

"Indeed, there appear to be more conspirators in teaching positions at the other academies, even some of the preparatory ones such as Signal. We are having some trouble in finding them all, as Lazuli could not supply us with names… But that investigation is still ongoing. Anything else?"

The four girls gave him excited but confident shakes of their heads.

"Very well then. Miss Cerise, do not forget to stop by the infirmary to receive your shot before departing."

"Oh, yeah," Pip said, quickly sobering. "Guess I haven't done that yet…" She glanced over at Ozpin as she rose from her seat. "Um… Are you checking up on me with that, sir?"

The grey-haired Headmaster smiled at her gently. "My responsibilities include every student at this school, Miss Cerise. That includes you, to make sure you get your medicine, and others, to make sure you do not lose control."

"Right, yeah…" Pip trailed off as she walked towards the elevator.

The four waited in silence as the elevator descended until it was broken by Evie.

"He's just concerned about you," Evie murmured, trying to sound reassuring.

"I know," Pip replied softly, not looking up from where she gazed at the floor.

They made a quick stop by the infirmary on their way to the armory to retrieve their weapons and gear. Once properly outfitted, including an extra shot of medicine for Pip since they would likely be gone overnight, they headed for a long-range Bulldog that was waiting for them for the trip directly to Vacuo.

As the small air transport lifted, the team was unaware of another set of eyes tracking their departure with interest.

The tall and gangly man kept to the shadows of the forest bordering the grounds of Beacon. Leech was nothing if not a patient man, and he had plenty of time to wait now that he was in position.

In any case, this would allow him the time to take care of one additional loose end that had come to his recent attention…

**Somewhere in Vacuo**   
**Saturday Afternoon**

Pip stretched her muscles as she stood up from the uncomfortable bucket seat that she'd been sprawled out in for the last several hours. There was a reason people took the more-comfortable airships or airbuses for longer travel.

She'd become more used to the effects of her aura inhibitor and the associated side effects. They had adjusted her dosage yet again, hopefully to one that would last her throughout the day and also take into account any combat she might experience, but still far less powerful than the first shot she'd received while still interred in the infirmary.

What really weighed on her mind, however, was just how effective she could be while under the influence of the inhibitor.

_I've got less aura to draw on defensively, and my reaction time is down… possibly my strength too… Ugh, this sucks, I know I'm gonna be less effective in a fight, but it's not like I can stay out of combat, my team needs me..._

"You okay, Pip?" her partner asked, ever cognizant now of her moods.

She turned to regard the Cat Faunus with a small smile while absentmindedly scratching at the back of her neck. "I'm fine, Evie, no worries. Just thinking about the mission."

Beryl nodded seriously. "We're going in pretty blind. I think the first thing we need to do is to find some sorta control room, get a map of the place."

 _Dammit, that's the sort of thing I should be thinking of…_ "Yeah, thanks babe, sounds good. Anything else?"

The blue-haired team tactician shrugged. "Not just yet, no."

Pip nodded wordlessly before turning to head towards the cockpit. "Hey, guys, how much longer to target?"

"Should be coming up in the next ten minutes," the pilot reported. "We need to go refuel, but we'll be back on-station and waiting to extract within another fifteen minutes."

"Sound good, we'll let you know when we're ready for pickup," Pip replied agreeably.

She turned back and flashed up both hands, fingers splayed outward, to indicate the time remaining. She was met with three sets of firm nods as the activity in the back picked up, weapons and armor being checked and pack straps tightened.

Beryl had her cerulean armor over her usual brown shirt and leggings, adequately covering her forearms, shins, and chest much as Pip's silver armor did. The blue-haired girl hooked her shield _Dahl_ around her back before pulling _Shashka_ out to inspect the trigger mechanism.

Meanwhile, Evie was adjusting the dark red straps that wrapped around her upper arms, making sure the talisman sporting her emblem of a black flame on a white background was secure. Then she pulled on her fingerless gloves, also in black to match her crop top and leggings. _Dao_ was secured at her waist, the scimitar already loaded up with a dust chamber.

As was typical, Lustre remained unruffled as she pulled on the white short-sleeved jacket that the team had gifted to her before her finals round in the Vytal Tournament. It bore her stylized diamond emblem on the back of it and went with her typical color scheme with the light blue tanktop, white shorts, light blue leggings, and white heeled boots that all contrasted so starkly with her dusky skin. Her staff, _Winter Contus_ , rested at her side, propped up against the seat Pip had vacated.

The blonde paused, regarding the three girls fondly. _Yeah, I'm lucky to have them as my family, and I'm gonna do everything I can to keep them safe. I can do this, just push myself as hard as I can._ She was actually feeling pretty decent, not nearly as greyed-out as she had the first time she'd taken the medicine. Perhaps she could function well enough after all.

In any case, the time was fast approaching to get the party started.

It wasn't long before the side door to the Bulldog was opened and the four girls flung themselves outwards. Pip made sure the craft came in low enough that she wouldn't break a leg with her weakened aura.

That would be a hell of a way to start her first mission back.

They spread out across the clearing as the Bulldog soared overhead and towards the town of Vacuo proper, their ranged weapons out and probing. Pip had _Odachi Dahlia_ in its sniper rifle form, shouldered and with her eye pressed to the scope.

"Anybody see a door?" she asked after almost a half minute of silence.

"Got one," Evie called out quietly. The other three headed for her position where a heavily reinforced steel door was set into a grassy knoll.

"This is similar to the one at the Vale base," the Cat Faunus commented as she flicked a switch on her scimitar. "Should be a stairwell below, I can force the door in and send it down to catch any defenders in the face."

Pip nodded. "Let's not get too complacent, though, floorplans might be a tad different. Go ahead, Evie. Hit it."

With a feral grin, her partner swung _Dao_ downwards, sending a concussive blast at the portal. It rang with a deep _clang_ as it buckled inwards and tumbled down a long stairwell.

Beryl started forward, shield raised, with Evie right behind her. Pip came next, her weapon still in its rifle form, and then Lustre brought up the rear.

The interior of the facility was dimly lit with what seemed to be emergency lighting, but it was enough for them to view the deserted platform they found themselves on. Across the way was what looked to be a control booth, overlooking both the raised area they stood upon as well as the atrium that seemed to plunge downwards for several hundred feet.

"So far, it's looking pretty similar to the Vacuo base," Evie whispered over her shoulder to Pip. "Last time I blinked across to that room and grabbed the layout."

Pip nodded, her coral eyes searching for any movement and finding none. There seemed to be only one portal, on the wall to the left and with what looked to be an elevator call button next to it.

"Okay, Beryl, go cover the elevator. Evie, Lustre and I will back you up with ranged support. Whenever you're ready, babe."

Evie snuck a hand out to pull Beryl in, stealing a quick kiss before her girlfriend moved across the room. Once they were all set, the Cat Faunus took a deep breath and disappeared, only to reappear in the darkened room across the way.

Her sniper rifle moving restlessly, Pip kept her attention divided between Evie's movements and both sides of the room, not knowing where a threat might come from. The raven-haired girl managed to find a working console and pulled her device out of her belt pouch to insert.

As soon as she did so, the lights in the room came on.

"Shit," Pip muttered, still swinging her scope from side to side. "Did that trigger something?"

"Perhaps just an automated light function," Lustre murmured back, peering down the length of her own battle rifle. "I do not hear any audible alarm."

"Still, a light going on just might attract-" Pip cut herself off as she noticed the door to the right inside the room slam open. "Whelp, there we go."

The first android through the door had its head shattered by a precision high-caliber dust round from _Odachi Dahlia_. The next one fell just as quickly, courtesy of Lustre. Glass fell to the ground inside the room as the window was blown inwards from the rifle fire.

Three more followed on their heels, but by that point, Evie was back among them again.

"Okay," the Faunus girl panted. "Got it."

Pip nodded wordlessly but proceeded to pick the remaining android guards apart, not wanting to leave any behind them after they'd descended. Once they were downed, she stood up from where she had crouched and returned her weapon into a greatsword to sheath on her back once more.

"Does it look similar to Vacuo?" she asked curiously as the three of them walked over to join Beryl.

Evie chewed on her bottom lip as she gazed at the device's screen. "Pretty much, yep. No holding cells, just one big pen they must have used to house Grimm in."

The blonde flinched slightly, but ruthlessly pushed down any memories of the cell she'd been imprisoned inside. _Not now. Stay focused._

Once they arrived at the elevator, Beryl pressed the call button. The doors immediately swished open to admit the team of huntresses-in-training.

The elevator itself seemed to creep down at an incredibly slow pace. Combined with the somnia-inducing music piped in from overhead, though how _that_ was still functioning when the base was on emergency power was puzzling, to say the least, it made for an agonizing ride down.

Without warning, Beryl whipped _Shashka_ into a carbine and shot out the overhead speaker, making the rest of the team jump violently.

"Fucking hell, Beryl!" Pip shouted, startled. "What the fuck? You almost gave me a fucking heart attack!"

"I think that is a whole new level of agitation for our leader," Lustre commented wryly. "Should we call it a 'level three fuck'?"

"Maybe a 'triple fuck'?" Evie snarked.

"Stop saying 'fuck'!" Beryl retorted, her face flustered. "And I'm sorry, the music was driving me crazy, okay?"

The blonde's glare was returned in earnest by the tiny blue-haired girl until her visage cracked. Pip snickered softly, turning it into a laugh that the other three finally joined.

"Dammitall, Beryl," the lanky team leader sighed. "Just… please don't do that again, okay?"

"Um, yeah… sorry again." Beryl sheathed her sword, looking at the ground still slightly embarrassed by her outburst.

They rode in silence for a few heartbeats before the raven-haired Cat Faunus broke the silence once more.

"At least we didn't get to a 'quadruple fuck', that'd be bad."

And that started a whole new round of laughter between the four friends.

Thankfully, they arrived at the bottom without further incident. They emerged in combat readiness once again, only to be faced with a pile of android remains.

"Well, that looks ominous," Evie murmured.

Beryl toed the dismembered head of one of the robotic guards. "Think someone else got here before us?"

Kneeling next to one of the torsos, Lustre shook her head warily. "No, these are claw marks. I'm afraid we have other guardians to worry about."

"Right," Pip sighed resolutely. "Stick to formation, let's just head for the central control room, or something like that, and then get out of here, yeah?"

Evie nodded, pulling the display out again. "Okay, so the hallway to the right here… across what looks to be a lab… Oh, here, perfect!"

Pip leaned over her partner's shoulder to see a room clearly marked as 'Study'. "You thinkin' that's where Malachite lurked?"

"I think it's worth a shot. If anywhere would have the info we need, it'd be there."

"Well then, let's go, nerds, time's a-wastin'." The blonde shot her friends a tight grin, feeling rather alive at the moment with the adrenaline coursing through her.

As they cautiously crept down the corridor, however, Pip cast a few surreptitious glances down at her limbs to make sure there was no hint of a glow.

_I got this, I'm at a good point right now, suppressed but still functional. Maybe I can get by like this after all…_

She caught her left hand as it crept up to scratch idly at the back of her neck, and irritably forced it back down again. Just to make sure, she pulled her sword out and clutched it firmly with both hands.

There were actually a series of labs in between them and their goal, each one looking fairly well deserted. Little machinery or lab equipment was in sight, mostly just bare countertops and open storage closets, with perhaps a few pieces of paper littering the floor.

Eventually, they reached the door at the end, steel-shod and without markings.

"So this is it?" Pip asked curiously, gazing around the circumference of the door.

"Apparently," Evie murmured, tucking her device back into her pouch after another quick consultation. "There's no lock or anything."

Beryl reached out with her sword and tapped lightly against the portal. It made a solid ringing noise that echoed throughout the abandoned chambers. "Think it's trapped?"

"I suppose we could stand back," the blonde mused. "Evie could open it and then 'port on back to us really quick…"

"Pip…"

The three of them turned at the strained tone in Lustre's voice from where she was watching their rears. The silver-haired girl had her staff clutched in her white-knuckled hands.

"We have company," Lustre whispered.

They spread out warily, weapons at the ready. Evie, with her Faunus-enhanced vision, was the first to make out what they faced.

"I'm seeing faint white glows," the raven-haired girl murmured. "Looks like… five of them? Hard to track, though, they keep shifting position back out in the main lobby we were in… Oh, Dust…"

"What?" Beryl squeaked anxiously. "Evie, what do you see?"

"White dust…" Evie breathed. "That explains their movements…"

Pip nodded determinedly, her greatsword at the ready. "Okay, so if these Grimm are infused with white dust then they're gonna be fast. Beryl and I will stay here and stand back-to-back, Evie and Lustre you guys use your maneuverability, but don't get too separated, okay? Stick close."

With that, Pip stepped forward with her blue-haired petite teammate. They faced the opposite corridor with their weapons out, while Evie and Lustre remained behind them, prepared to launch themselves into battle.

"Okay, babe," Pip murmured to Beryl next to her. "Let's invite them to the party."

The diminutive shield-wielder twirled _Shashka_ into a carbine and sent a few rounds down the length of the dim connected chambers. A fierce howl was heard as at least one of them struck home.

"Beowolves," the blonde snorted. "Great."

And then in the blink of an eye, one of the dark-furred creatures was right there and in her face.

Were she fully functional and with her usual quick reflexes, she might have been able to avoid the strike, but as it was she never really even saw it land. Instead, she went sailing backwards to crash against the wall behind them, fortunately still retaining her grip on her sword.

"Sonofa…" Pip gasped, rolling painfully into a crouch. "Well, thank Oum for armor!"

Her hand probed at the three gashed lines across her chestplate, scoring deep into the dust-infused metal but not enough to breach it.

_That was Dust-damned lucky, if it swiped at my neck I'd be dead already!_

In the brief span of time it took for her to regain her feet, her teammates had already been quite busy.

Beryl was holding her own, glowing blue as her semblance kept her rooted in place and fending off the speed-enhanced attacks from the Beowolves as they flew in and then out again. Of Lustre and Evie, there was no immediate sign, but then every so often one or both would flicker briefly into view as they danced around the room, returning the Grimm's efforts twofold. A pair of corpses were already on the floor, the pulsing white veins dimming as they began to disintegrate, and another quickly followed after Evie landed on its shoulders, driving her scimitar into its eye socket before blinking off once more.

Pip staggered forward, trying to get to Beryl's back to protect it, when another blur flashed by her face, sending her spinning to the ground. This time, her sword flew from her grasp to skitter across the floor.

Fortunately, she didn't receive the business end of any claws, unlike the last attack, but it still hurt, almost wrenching her arm out of its socket. She didn't need to glance at her scroll to know her aura was already dangerously low after just two hits.

The blonde team leader once more staggered to her feet, casting about for her weapon. What her eyes landed upon, however, was another blurred form, tinged in a glowing white nimbus, as it flew straight in at her.

"Oh, Grimmshit," she breathed, closing her eyes and wincing in anticipation of a whole world of hurt.

Surprisingly, the blow never came. Pip cracked an eye open to see Lustre standing in front of her, holding the Beowolf back with her staff extended. Without further ado, the silver-haired girl triggered the end of her staff, sending a dust round into the beast's chest that staggered it backwards and right into Beryl's sword thrust, ending its miserable existence.

The blonde sagged to the ground wearily, sitting on her heels and staring down at her hands in her lap.

_That… was too close._

"You okay, sweetie?" Her partner's concern-filled voice intruded into her dazed fog.

Pip just nodded dumbly. "I don't think I'm ready for this," she whispered.

Evie crouched next to her and wrapped her up in a tight hug. "Nonsense. We just need to make some adjustments, that's all."

"Adjustments?" Pip laughed bitterly. "I wanted to be useful as a teammate and leader, and all I did was put the rest of you in danger. You can't be protecting me and fight at the same time."

"Grimmshit," Beryl replied archly. Pip glanced up to see the small blue-haired girl offering _Odachi Dahlia_ to her. "For starters, we're always looking out for each other, protecting each other. It's what we do."

Evie nodded solemnly as she stood back up. "And we do need you. You're our leader and our big sister. So we just need to account for some extra things, big deal! You can play ranged support more, you're the best shot on the team anyways."

Lustre slowly walked into view, her staff held negligently over her shoulder. "But most importantly, Pip, you must tell us how you are. Please be honest with us so that we may work together effectively."

"You don't have to always be the strong one," Beryl added quietly.

Evie held her hand down to help the blonde to her feet. "That's what family is for, to lean on each other."

Pip stood in front of the dearest friends she'd ever known and felt the tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, guys," she murmured. "Yeah, I'm weaker than I was letting on, I just… Yeah. I'll stop trying to be like that. It's hard, though, y'know?"

"We do," Evie assured her. "Now, how about we get that info and then get the Dust out of here?"

They walked towards the door, which was now cracked open from where Pip's shoulder had crashed into it, and cautiously pushed it the rest of the way open. Inside was a grandiose-looking study, lined with some sort of fancy wood paneling that matched the ornate chairs and heavy, oversized desk. Plush green carpet cushioned their footfalls as they moved into the darkened room.

"Did this guy not believe in lighting?" Beryl hissed irritably.

Evie shrugged. "Maybe he liked the mood. All dark and gloomy and, y'know, melodramatic."

"Yeah," Pip snorted. "I could see that. He was…" She shook herself. "Well, no matter. That desk have a console built into it?"

Evie nodded, placing her device on the top. It caused a virtual holographic monitor to light up, giving them at least some illumination.

They stared down at the device as it seemed to be working through its programming. "Shouldn't it be doing something constructive by now?" Beryl asked curiously.

"Perhaps it merely needs more time to break into the system," Lustre suggested.

Then the device in Evie's hands blinked a few times to indicate success, and lines of information began to scroll down the screen.

Soon thereafter, the holographic display changed to a pulsating, angry-looking red.

"Oh, fuck me sideways with a Dust shard," Pip spat out viciously. "Evie, let's go babe, we gotta book it!"

"Go!' Evie ordered them sternly, watching the display of her device intently. "I can catch up!"

"I should stay instead," Lustre offered.

"No, you hurt your leg. I know you can't move as fast. I'll be fine."

Pip glanced down, surprised that she hadn't even seen the bandage that now encased her teammate's leg. If the Grimm had managed to hurt her like that, then her aura was likely bottomed out anyway. "Dammit, Evie…"

"Go!" the Cat Faunus repeated firmly.

Beryl jumped over to wrap her girlfriend in a tight hug. "Don't you dare stay too long," she whispered. "I'm not leaving this place without you, so you better catch up!"

Evie smiled and leaned over to kiss her hard on the lips. "I'll be there."

Beryl backed away to follow Pip and Lustre. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied. "Now move that cute ass of yours!"

The three teammates began jogging forward as best they could across the connected laboratories. Pip noted that Lustre was indeed beginning to limp from the exertion, and slowed her own pace to stay with her.

"Beryl, go make sure the atrium is clear!" Pip called out. The blue-haired girl nodded wordlessly, surging ahead on her shorter legs as best she could.

"How is it," Lustre gasped painfully, "that the slowest of us in in front?"

"That's just so we can all see that cute ass of hers," Pip chuckled.

"I heard that!" Beryl panted over her shoulder.

"Less backtalk, more running!"

"You wanna see how fast you can run after I kneecap you?"

Pip bit back her retort as she heard the subtle grinding of machinery overhead. "Oh, now what…"

The blonde glanced upwards and almost tripped in her shock. In between each lab, a solid-looking steel door was beginning to drop down. Glancing backwards, she could see the same thing happening all the way back towards the study.

_Oh, no… Evie has to see where she's teleporting in order for her semblance to work…_

"Evie!" she screamed frantically. "Move! Right fucking now!"

Without waiting she grabbed Lustre around the waist and started hobbling forward, practically dragging her teammate along. Beryl was waiting for them anxiously at the entrance to the main lobby, peering down the corridor that led from the labs.

With one final grunt of effort, Pip threw Lustre forward just as the descending door brushed the top of her hair. She spun around, bending down to remain under the edge of the door.

"EVIE!"

Finally, as the long line of doors were a little over a foot from the ground, she saw movement down at the far end.

She wasn't going to make it.

Pip growled to herself helplessly, she shouldn't have left her behind, should have just thrown the Dust-damned stubborn woman over her shoulder and headed out all together…

And then Evie's body came hurtling out from under the door, coming to a stop just next to her.

"Whew, almost didn't-"

The Faunus' girl's words were cut off by her anguished scream as the door suddenly dropped the last bit, catching the end of her tail and severing it clean off.

"Oh, shit!" Pip barked, crouching down and grabbing hold of the writhing girl. _Gods, that had to be painful, her tail is so sensitive…_

But then Beryl was there as well, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend from behind and trying to grasp the bloody, flailing appendage. "It's okay, love, I'm here, lemme see it…"

Finally, she was able to catch Evie' tail, and a mixed blue-and-white glow surrounded her hand where it rested on the end. The Faunus girl gasped, her screams finally trailing off as Beryl pushed her aura into her.

"I do not think I will ever get used to the sight of that," Lustre commented, her eyes tight with worry.

Pip grinned, standing up as Evie relaxed fully into her girlfriend's embrace. "Nope. Pretty cool, though."

"Indeed."

Evie's eyes fluttered open to gaze up at Beryl's concerned gaze. "My tail?" she asked anxiously. "Is it…"

"It's fine," Beryl assured her. "I think you only lost maybe an inch, might be a bit numb right now. Still plenty there to wrap around my leg when we walk together."

"Oh… well, that's good, then."

"Hey, lovebirds," Pip interjected mildly. "Hate to break this up, but we should most likely get our asses aboveground before we're, y'know, buried."

"Right!" Evie exclaimed, jumping energetically to her feet. "Whew, I feel like I just chugged down an energy drink!"

Beryl gave her a cheeky wink as the four of them headed down the corridor. "I got a buzz outta that too. Glad you showed me how to do that, by the way."

"Me, too," Evie smiled warmly.

They burst forth from the hallway and out into the towering atrium. Evie quickly raced forward to open the elevator.

Nothing happened.

She stabbed the button a few more times in frustration. "Dammit! Nothing!"

"Should we find stairs?" Lustre wondered, glancing around worriedly.

Pip shook her head, her gaze riveted on the shattered window to the control room far overhead. There had been a steady red glow emanating from there when they'd arrived, but now it had begun flashing. "I don't think we have the time for that," she stated grimly.

"Right," Evie nodded firmly. She took several determined steps over before wrapping her arms around Pip and gazing upwards. "Hang tight, sweetie."

"What are you- Waugh!" Pip stumbled as she suddenly found herself standing upon the edge of the platform at the top of the room.

Evie let her go without another word, disappearing from sight.

"So that's how that feels…" Pip murmured, shaking her head to clear away the slight dizziness.

Another heartbeat later and Lustre was at her side. Pip caught her as she began to fall forward, letting her sag to the ground and off of her injured leg.

"Oh, that was most disorienting," Lustre breathed.

"Indeed," Pip smirked. She ran over to the side, wondering what was taking so long for Evie to arrive with the last member of their team. Far below, she could make out a swirling brilliant glow of mixed blue and white.

"Ah," she commented to herself. "Recharging. Handy, that." She cupped her hands around her mouth to shout down to the couple. "Make out later, get your butts up here!"

"That wasn't easy, you know," Evie's voice came from behind her.

Pip turned to see Evie holding up a thoroughly drained-looking Beryl, who nonetheless had a wide, sappy grin on her face.

"My girlfriend is awesome," the blue-haired girl remarked happily.

Pip chuckled as she ran over to scoop Lustre up in her arms. "Yep, she is at that. Now let's move it, ladies."

She raced up the stairs, ignoring Lustre's grumbling about being handled like a sack of groceries, both Evie and Beryl right on her heels.

"Evie!" she called out over her shoulder. "If you've got a signal, call down the transport!"

Finally, they burst from the stairwell and into the late-afternoon sunlight, breathing heavily. Pip placed Lustre on her feet, still supporting her with an arm around her waist while the girl leaned on her staff on the other side.

_Have we really only been down there, what… an hour or so?_

The blonde looked up at the whine of dust-powered repulsors, their Bulldog beginning its slow ascent. But as she felt tremors begin to form beneath her feet, she waved frantically to the pilot.

"Hurry!" she screamed, even though she knew he wouldn't be able to hear her.

Her gesticulations must have gotten the urgency across, though, as the Bulldog quickly dipped the rest of the way down. The four girls flung themselves into the back of the transport, just in time.

As their ride rapidly ascended once more, the team members gazed down at the clearing they'd just left behind. The ground below them seemed to bulge upwards before collapsing down and forming a shallow crater, tendrils of smoke drifting up from the entrance they'd used.

"So," Evie began conversationally. "Let's not do that again anytime soon, huh?"

"Gets my vote," Beryl snickered, rolling onto her back wearily.

Lustre managed to drag herself up and onto a seat, but then just sat there listlessly. Pip stood as well, closing the side hatch before walking forward to first give the pilots her sincere thanks and then to retrieve the ship's first aid kit.

She knelt in front of Lustre, giving her good leg a reassuring squeeze before beginning to work on the other to do a proper job of patching it up. As she did so, she glanced aside at her other two team members.

They were both passed out, right on the cold, hard, and uncomfortable metal floor as if they were back in their own beds, curled up contentedly around each other.

 _Okay,_ she resolved to herself. _I can do this. I can still be useful to the team, just so long as I keep my own weakness in mind and admit to them when I need help._

_Because, yeah, that's what a family is for. To help each other._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another action-filled chapter, plus more fun with aura. I realize I'm taking a few liberties with how aura works, but hey, that's why it's a fanfiction.


	21. Resolute

**Volume 2**

Beacon Academy  
Sunday Evening

Pip wearily stepped off of the Bulldog once it landed, followed closely by her teammates. She stretched her arms up above her head, yawning widely as she rose up onto the balls of her feet.

"Oh, thank Oum we're finally home," she sighed, rubbing at the back of her neck idly.

"You said it, sweetie," her partner murmured as she strolled by, her arm around Beryl's shoulders. "Don't suppose we can skip out on classes tomorrow and just sleep?"

"That would not be ideal," Lustre commented softly. Even the normally even-keeled girl in white looked fairly well run-down. "Tempting, but not ideal."

"Well, at least we get tonight in our beds," Beryl sighed. "I'm way past due for snuggles."

The blonde team leader laughed and rolled her eyes. "I can't even find the energy to make fun of your adorableness… Oh, hey, looks like Ozpin is calling me."

She pulled her scroll out and held it up, noting that the unflappable Headmaster was at his usual place at his desk atop the tower. "Hey, Professor, we just got back to Beacon."

"Yes, I am aware of that. I had a few things to mention to your team before you retired for the night."

"Yessir, go ahead," Pip replied agreeably. The four girls paused in their trek to gather around the scroll curiously.

"First off, I would like to see the data you returned with, this evening if at all possible."

Evie fished the device out of her pouch and wiggled it in front of the scroll's camera. "Got it right here, Professor." She smiled as she tucked it back in. "It was quite an adventure to obtain."

"I can only imagine. Secondly, and of possibly greater concern, is the fact that your former combat instructor, Atticus Lazuli, was found dead this afternoon while in custody."

Pip's grip on the scroll tightened. "Dead?" she asked through numb lips.

"Indeed. Unfortunately, there were no new marks on his body, nor was there any discernable means of death that we can determine. I merely wish for you four to be cautious."

"Yes… sir…" she breathed, panic beginning to wrap around her chest like steel bands.

"I will see you soon, then."

He closed the connection, but Pip remained staring at her scroll, still held in her trembling hands.

"Pip? You okay?"

The blonde looked over at her partner, slipping the scroll back into her pocket before she dropped it. "He said… no marks… Oh, Dust, I think he's here somewhere on campus…"

"Who, Pip?" Evie asked, her brows furrowed in concern. "Who are you talking about?"

"Leech… the guy who took us the first time…" Pip swallowed nervously, her mood causing the other teammates to gather around her warily.

"I'm so glad you remember me," a deep and resonant voice intoned from the darkness at the edge of the now-deserted platform.

"No..." Pip whispered, pulling her sword out with a trembling hand. "It's him, he's here…"

The four of them spread out to face the source of the eerie voice. Lustre walked confidently on the leg that had been injured earlier, having made a full recovery in their short overnight stay in Vacuo, while both Evie and Beryl stood shoulder-to-shoulder and slightly ahead of Pip as if to shelter her from what was to come.

She felt the blood drain from her face as the familiar figure stepped forward, tall and gangly with those odd armguards wrapped on his forearms.

And then the blonde took a deep breath, pushing her terror to the side. _No, fuck that, I'm not gonna let him intimidate me… Not when I have my teammates to protect…_

She took a step forward, her sword clenched firmly and held out towards him. _This is different that the last time, we're armed and there's four of us. We can do this._

"Not letting you take me again," she snarled quietly. Evie's head whipped around at the deadly fury that dripped from her voice, only to face forward again with a feral grin. As one, the other three girls drew their weapons and settled into their combat-ready poses.

"Hmm… Not as intimidated as I thought you'd be," Leech murmured, a trace of amusement in his voice. His skeletal face, however, did not betray any hint of emotion. "I think you misunderstand my purpose here today."

"And what would that be, then?" Lustre asked calmly, her staff held in both hands at her side with the firing end pointed firmly in his direction.

"Well, two of you are expendable, and need removed." His impassive dark eyes roamed across Evie and Beryl before settling over on Pip and Lustre. "The other two… Well, if I can bring you back, all the better. If not…" He shrugged his bony shoulders before sliding one foot back and bringing his hands up loosely in front of him. "Then it is of little consequence."

"Pip?" Beryl breathed. "What are we looking at?"

"Armguards can block, likely any weapon," the blonde stated hurriedly. "Don't let him touch you, whatever happens."

"Right," the blue-haired girl said. "Ladies, it's Silvercat time."

Evie and Lustre shot each other a quick smirk before speeding off to flank their opponent. Beryl moved in, her shield held up at the ready. "Pip," she shot quietly over her shoulder. "Cover us."

 _Right,_ the blonde nodded determinedly, herself taking a long step back before twirling her sword to transform it into a sniper rifle. _I'm ranged support now._

Evie and Lustre began their runs from either side of the tall and gangly man. While Lustre would flash by to deliver a strike on his back, Evie would blink in on the front to swing her scimitar at him before blinking again to continue on her path. They would alternate then, circling their target with a deadly flurry of hits.

Meanwhile, both Beryl and Pip kept up the pressure with their ranged attacks in between their teammates' strikes. Pip remained towards the back while Beryl kept _Dahl_ up to protect the both of them.

Leech seemed to effortlessly spin and dance, his oddly glowing wooden armguards blocking everything that came his way before they could land on him. Even Pip's high-velocity sniper rounds didn't seem to faze him.

"How is he blocking our gunfire and their strikes at the same time?" Beryl growled querulously over her shoulder.

"Because he's freaky-fast!" Pip shouted. "Watch him, he's not gonna stay on the defensive much longer!"

As if he was waiting for Pip's words, Leech dropped down low and kicked out with both feet while balancing on one hand, the other forearm still shielding him from the gunfire. Both kicks landed, sending Evie flying backwards as soon as she blinked in, and catching Lustre in her face to cause her to flip around before crashing down to the ground.

Leech regained his footing and made as if to make a grab for Lustre, but he had to retract his hand when a snarling Cat Faunus leaped onto his back, spitting and scratching furiously. The lanky man seemed highly amused as he flipped himself backwards, smashing Evie to the ground as he finished the maneuver. He quickly rolled forward once again, hands outstretched.

One hand managed to clamp onto the downed raven-haired girl's head, but it was quickly batted away by _Winter Contus_. Lustre stood over him, her staff whirling at incredible speed. A trail of blood leaked down from her mouth but she paid it no mind, the entirety of her razor-sharp focus on her opponent.

Leech seemed to give the girl a grudging nod of respect as he engaged her. His long, spindly limbs flew about, deflecting hits and attempting to make contact with the enraged silver-haired girl. By now, though, Beryl and Pip had spread apart so that he couldn't keep one of their teammates in between him and their ranged support. Beryl sent a few cautious shots at his side, which he still managed to deflect.

Then Evie was back on her feet, having regained _Dao_ , and flew in at his back. Seemingly aware of her approach even though he hadn't spared her a glance, Leech dropped back into a low crouch, grabbing hold of the Faunus girl and sending her crashing into Lustre.

"Dammit," Pip muttered, opening fire on him once again. _Dust, he's fast… I don't think he was even really trying the last time I fought him!_

Part of her wanted desperately to defeat her enemy, but the saner part of her realized such a victory would be hollow if one of her team got hurt in the process. And there was no guarantee that even the four of them combined could bring him down.

Once Evie and Lustre were back on their feet again and re-engaged, Pip paused in her so-far unsuccessful suppressing efforts to dig her scroll out, quickly returning Ozpin's call as he was the last one to contact her. His face immediately appeared, but she didn't give him any time for pleasantries.

"Leech is here at the landing platform!" she whispered urgently. "Send help!"

Ozpin's eyebrows lowered. "Cameras are out down there… Hang on, Miss Cerise, help is on the way!"

Nodding, Pip closed the connection and tucked her scroll back into her pouch. Turning back to the battle, she was dismayed at how it stood right now.

Beryl was on her back, seemingly stunned from a blow to the head as there was a trickle of blood coming from her nose. She'd retained her hold on _Dahl_ , cradling it against her chest, but _Shashka_ had been torn from her grip. Her scimitar lay just out of reach.

Both Lustre and Evie were still trying to keep Leech occupied, but Evie was obviously restricting her movements to remain close to Beryl and protect her fallen girlfriend. The gangly man seemed to take note of this and cleverly lured her into position by faking a move towards Beryl. Once the Cat Faunus had blinked back to interpose herself, Leech sent her sailing away with a powerful kick to her sternum.

"Oum, please hurry Ozpin," Pip breathed.

They weren't going to last much longer.

Lustre stepped up her efforts, but Leech was fully concentrated on her now. Even with her greater speed, he managed to keep her in between himself and Pip, effectively blocking her shot. With a low growl, Pip changed her weapon back into a sword and charged forward.

Which, evidently, was exactly what he was waiting for.

He circled around and allowed Pip to approach his back, but much as he had earlier with Evie, was fully aware of her positioning. As soon as she attempted to take a swing at him, he ducked under and swept her feet out from under her. Before she could hit the ground, his hand shot out in front of him, grasping Lustre's staff and pulling towards him forcefully. With his other hand, he sent an open-palmed strike at her face, staggering her, before pulling the silver-haired girl the rest of the way forward and on top of Pip.

With another spin, he landed a kick that sent the pair of them tumbling painfully across the ground, the air knocked out of them both.

"Well," he commented as he rose to his feet, dusting himself off. "I must say, that was more entertaining than I expected. Would have been more if you could access your new powers, but I suppose they didn't take after all, hmm?"

His deep baritone was filled with humor as he sauntered over to the still-prone Beryl. The blue-haired girl was attempting to rise, but he placed a not-so-gentle foot on her shield to pin her in place before reaching out with a long, gangly arm. "And now to finally tie up those loose ends…"

Before his hand could make contact, he was forced to hurl himself backwards to avoid a ball of fire that almost singed the top of his head.

Pip staggered to her feet, peering back to see who their savior might be, and almost fell back over in her surprise.

Grey-haired and rail-thin, but with his trademark disheveled white shirt, yellow tie, and wrinkled dark green pants, was Professor Oobleck, holding some sort of…

"Is that a cannon?" Lustre asked, her words slurred slightly from the hit she'd received to the face. She was still on the ground but supporting herself up on her elbows.

"Maybe a flamethrower?" Pip murmured back, bending over to retrieve _Odachi Dahlia_.

"Whatever it is," Beryl gasped painfully as she regained her footing as well. "I'm happy as all Dust to see him!"

Oobleck regarded the intruder levelly, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "That will be quite enough," he stated firmly. "Surrender now."

Leech chuckled, the sound like bones grating together. "I think not."

He looked as if he were considering fighting the veteran hunter, but then more noises sounded in the near distance. Oobleck, with his still-hyperactive speed, even after all these years, was obviously merely the first responder.

"Well, well," Leech rumbled. "I suppose this shall have to wait." He glanced over at Pip, his bottomless gaze sending chills through her body. "If you survive the next few hours, that is."

With one final nod, Leech stepped back and let the darkness swallow him whole.

Oobleck let out an irritated grunt as he stalked forward. "Ladies, are you alright?"

Pip nodded slowly, looking around at her teammates. They were shaken, to be sure, but none of them had received serious injury. "Yes, sir."

"Very good, then. I would suggest you lot head up to see Professor Ozpin right away, while the rest of us search for that man."

Pip nodded once more. She helped Lustre to her feet much as Beryl did for the still-woozy-looking Evie. As she walked past Oobleck, she paused.

"His name is Leech," she whispered. "If you fight him… whatever you do, don't let him touch you."

"Duly noted, my dear. Now, off with you."

The four shambling girls passed a cadre of professors as they headed towards the landing pad.

"What did he mean, Pip?" Beryl asked quietly, holding Evie's arm around her shoulders supportively.

"About what?"

"When he left, he said, if you survive the next few hours."

Pip sighed and shook her head wearily. "I have no idea, babe."

They rode the elevator up in silence, trudging their way into Ozpin's office where he stood by the window, peering down at his scroll while facing outwards.

Hearing their entrance, he spun around and regarded them with a hint of uncharacteristic worry. "Girls, any substantial injuries?"

"No, Professor," the blonde team leader replied with a shake of her head, her long ponytail swaying behind her. "We got lucky, really. Another minute and we wouldn't be here."

Ozpin wordlessly gestured for them to sit, which they gratefully accepted. He walked over to the side of the large room and pulled open an unnoticed cabinet door, revealing a small fridgette. Removing four bottles of aura-regenerating energy drinks, he passed them out among the girls before taking his own seat.

"Well, it was unfortunate that this evening ended this way for you," the Headmaster sighed, tapping a few keys on his desk to view the progress of the pursuit. "Unfortunate as well that this Leech seems to have evaded our efforts."

Pip swallowed her previous gulp of liquid before addressing Ozpin. "Sir, I'm pretty sure he's the one who killed Lazuli. His touch, I think it drains a person, like their aura. That's how… how we were taken by him."

"Yes, I recall your recitation of that event," Ozpin murmured thoughtfully. "Then I suppose if he drains enough, uninterrupted…"

"Right," the blonde nodded somberly. "It'd kill them."

The grey-haired man leaned back, taking a sip from his mug. "Well. As disconcerting as this has been, hopefully, this is the last we will see of him for some time. I'll put some of my… associates on this to try and track him down. In the meantime… I believe you have some data for me?"

"Oh!" Evie exclaimed. She sat upright and pulled the device out of her pouch. "Yes, sir! Here you go!"

"Thank you, Miss Black. Now, let us see what we have here…"

He perused the contents of the data as the four girls continued to drink down their beverages. All four were feeling a bit sleepy, and Beryl even looked to be nodding off. A smiling Evie scooted her chair alongside the blue-haired girl so that she could lean against her shoulder. Soft snores could be heard not long thereafter.

"Does it look like this might help some, sir?" Pip murmured quietly after a while.

Ozpin sighed, keeping his voice down as well. "I'm not entirely sure, Miss Cerise… It would seem there are, or in the case of Vacuo and Vale, were, two bases in each kingdom. One for research and development and one simply labeled 'staging'..."

"Staging?" the blonde repeated curiously. "Staging for what?"

"Something big," Ozpin stated solemnly. "And certainly nothing good."

Pip glanced at her teammates. Both Beryl and Evie were dozing now, the Cat Faunus resting her head atop her girlfriend's, while Lustre seemed to be staring sightlessly off into the distance through the tall windows.

"Well… Perhaps I should take my team back to our room," the blonde whispered. "We're pretty wiped, even with the drinks. Thanks for that, by the way, sir."

"You are most welcome, Miss Cerise. And as for retiring for the evening, I wholeheartedly agree. The sooner we…" He trailed off as his scroll began to vibrate. Pip noted that the color was an angry-looking orange. "One moment," he murmured before picking the scroll up.

"Ozpin," he answered simply. As he listened, his brow furrowed and an altogether unwelcome anxious look began to grow in his eyes.

_This can't be good…_

Pip reached over to shake her slumbering teammates. Both of them peered about blearily but perked up at the worried frown on the blonde face and the placement of a warning finger on her lips. Lustre as well was now focused in on the Headmaster as they waited to hear whatever news had worried him so.

"I see. Yes, absolutely, full authorization." With that, Ozpin placed the scroll slowly down on the desk.

"Professor, what-" Pip cut herself off, her head jerking around to stare out the window as a wailing siren began to echo throughout the academy. It was mirrored in the distance by another ominous siren in Vale itself.

"Professor?" Evie whispered anxiously.

Wordlessly, Ozpin tapped a key on his desk. The display in front of him, visible to the four girls though in reverse, flared to life to show the middle on an ongoing news broadcast.

"...And reports are still coming in from the other Kingdoms of Grimm incursions. So far none of them have breached the walls of the major cities, but the outlying settlements are suffering greatly. What has everyone concerned, however, are the reports of Grimm never seen before, glowing in colors of red and green and white and possessing powers above and beyond what we have come to expect."

"Oh, no…" Pip breathed, staring wide-eyed. "Oh, no no no…"

"We have footage here from Atlas, grainy as it might be, showing exactly what we are facing…"

The screen changed to show a scene in front of what must have been the main walls surrounding Atlas. The lights from the city gave enough illumination to show groups of men desperately fighting, some of them lying broken on the ground while others were fleeing for their lives.

Crouched in front of the walls, its veins glowing red in a vast spiderweb pattern across its inky black feathers, was a giant Nevermore, its beak gaping wide and an otherworldly orange glow showing from its gullet.

" _That's_ what you and Pip faced?" Evie asked her girlfriend incredulously. Beryl simply nodded, her expression dumbstruck.

"Authorities from all over are calling for any available personnel with hunter training to assist in the defense of the four kingdoms at this time…"

Pip cradled her head in her shaking hands. "It's begun," she whispered despondently. "Oum preserve us all, it's begun…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is likely the shortest chapter I'm going to be doing for the story. Hopefully. I just didn't have much to fill it up with otherwise, and it didn't fit well with either the chapter before or after. So, there we go, it's just a baby update. But now that Malachite's plans are finally in motion, things will start to really pick up…


	22. Invasion

**Volume 2**

City of Vale Outskirts  
Late Sunday Evening

Raye Rhosin was having an incredibly poor evening.

It began with the interruption of her sleep, something that the normally reticent Wolf Faunus girl took very seriously, caused by the wailing of sirens that indicated an emergency throughout Beacon and Vale. It continued with the constant complaining of her teammate Ivory who valued her sleep even more highly. The white-haired girl was irritable at the best of times, which to be fair was rather uncharacteristic for a Fox Faunus such as herself, but that evening she practically bit off her partner Sepia's head when she got in her way of changing out of her sleepwear. At least their team leader, Indie, managed to step in and quell any further argument with her usual subtle but firm style.

And then it culminated right where Team IRIS now found itself, defending one of the many gates leading into the city of Vale against a horde of Grimm.

Which in and of itself shouldn't have been much of an obstacle for the third-year students, even as sleep-deprived as they were. After all, they'd managed to get up to the doubles round in the Vytal Festival this year.

If only it weren't for the damnable aberrations they faced.

"Sepia?" she called out anxiously. The Wolf Faunus was currently occupied sending shards of stone at an approaching group of Beowolves, but her friend was at her back, watching for the return of those green glowing monsters.

"Nothing yet, Raye!" the brunette replied tersely.

With a grunt of effort, she sent another barrage of ice spears raining down from the sky upon the seething mass of Grimm. They'd been at this for almost a half hour now without relief, but the ranks were finally beginning to thin. Which was good, because even as skilled a Dust Mage as she was, if she didn't get a break soon she'd be spent.

A Creep raced in at her from the side, and she flicked her closed fan _Silverlight_ at it crossly. The dust-laced weapon served as a wand for her in this form and took her little effort to send a quick bolt of lightning out to blast the offending creature to tiny little bits.

Raye took a quick second to evaluate her other teammates. Her team leader, Indie, was easy enough to pick out in the semi-darkness. Though her dark red leather armor was fairly invisible even to her Faunus eyes, her shoulder-length blonde hair and white battle skirt stood out like beacons. And then there were the trails of explosions she left behind her as she danced through the ranks of approaching Grimm, the red dust in her nunchucks leaving a trail of fiery destruction. Fortunately for Raye's partner, her semblance granted her immunity to the effects of red dust, which led to her prodigious use of it. Much to the consternation of her teammates, who tended to give her a wide berth when she fought.

Out on the other flank, Ivory was only visible by virtue of her tousled white hair floating disembodied over the dark mass of her brown cloak, the tips of her Wolf ears poking up attentively. She'd converted her dual pistols into their short blade forms and was doing a dance of her own, just as deadly as Indie but with fewer explosions.

Sepia's sudden warning shout interrupted her survey as she called for her to hit the dirt. Having had enough close calls already, Raye quickly obliged, diving to the ground and rolling to the side.

A flash of green soared overhead, the ear-shattering howl from the Gryffon kicking up debris where she'd just been. Sepia stood her ground stubbornly, her rifle to her shoulder as she sent several rounds into the creature's hide before it soared off again.

"Dust damn it all!" the brunette girl barked out irritably, her long braided hair bristling behind her as she strode over to help Raye to her feet. "Why does it feel like I'm not even tickling those bastards?"

The Wolf Faunus sighed, brushing the dirt off of her red knee-length dress. "Maybe we should switch, you taking on the regular Grimm and me on overwatch. I could give them a decent surprise on their next run."

So far only three of the surreal creatures, their veins pulsing green under their dark feathers, had shown up in their area. They seemed to remain stubbornly fixated on the group of huntresses-in-training, as if it was their mission to bring them down rather than attack the gate itself.

Sepia growled in annoyance as she twisted her rifle, converting it into a spear, and slipped her buckler over her forearm. "Yeah, it's worth a try. Maybe I can take out my frustrations on some regular Grimm for a change. If Indie and Ivory leave me any, that is…"

Raye smiled at her normally reserved friend. "You know Indie really gets into killing Grimm, soon as she starts cutting loose with the red dust…"

"...She won't stop till she runs out," Sepia smiled back. "Yeah, I know. Oh, hey! An Ursa! Be right back, hon…"

The Dust Mage chuckled lightly as Sepia raced forward to meet the charging Ursa, her spear held before her like a lance. She took several steps back and returned her gaze to the sky once more, looking for those annoyingly persistent Gryffons.

_For large, green-glowing, flying creatures, they're surprisingly stealthy…_

Finally, she spotted them, the sight causing her heart to sink down into her boots.

All three were converging on her position in an uncanny sort of coordination, from three different angles.

With a low growl that harkened back to her Faunus heritage, Raye whipped her folded fan toward the right-most one, sending a ball of flame outward. Then she spun, swinging out at the middle one with a shower of razor-sharp ice crystals. For the last one, she decided to rely on her powerhouse attack and thrust upwards to hurl a large boulder at her target.

The incoming Gryffons on her flanks each dodged her attacks, much to her chagrin, though the one in the middle let out an agonized shriek as the shards of ice tore through it, sending it careening down into the ground to impact with a crash that shook the ground.

As the other two continued to bore in, Raye quickly erected a barrier of ice and stone around her. Against one of them, it might have held, but with two simultaneous roars the green-glowing Grimm managed to shatter her protective shield and send her flying backwards.

 _Dust dammit!_ she thought in exasperation as she rolled back to her feet. _How can these creatures act this coordinated?_

She turned about in a circle, trying to discern where they'd gone, but her senses were ringing from the auditory attack, leaving her disoriented and confused.

Sepia's panicked scream diverted her attention to directly overhead, but it was far too late for her to react. Both Gryffons were diving straight down at her, claws and beaks extended, and all she could do was stare at her impending doom.

But just as she began to wonder if there would be anything recognizable left of her corpse for identification, a pair of thunderous reports sounded. The high-caliber gunshots impacted on the heads of both Grimm, sending them off-course to smash to the ground several feet in front of the bewildered Wolf Faunus.

The impact caused Raye to lose her footing again, leaving her stunned and on her back once more.

Only this time, she was looking up into a familiar and friendly pair of pale ice-blue eyes.

"Team Pearl at your service," the dusky girl above her smiled, her lightly-accented and musical voice laden with humor. "No charge this time, but we do accept tips."

"Lustre," she sighed with a grin. "Thank Oum, you're a sight for sore eyes." Raye accepted the offer of a helping hand to regain her footing and looked around the clearing to assess the current situation.

Two of Lustre's teammates, the Cat Faunus and the short blue-haired girl, were already engaged alongside Sepia and Ivory to clean up the remaining Grimm on the ground. _What were their names? Oh, that's right, Evie and Beryl. I think they're dating now? Eh, I'll ask Lustre about it later._

The leader of Team PERL was hard to mistake, being the subject of rampant rumors around Beacon from her capture and subsequent rescue. The word on what had happened to her in between was varied and outlandish, but everyone who came in contact with the lanky blonde could tell that she'd been changed by it.

Though it would be difficult to imagine so right now as she stood attentively beside the chestnut-haired girl with the large-caliber sniper rifle still held to her shoulder, searching for targets of opportunity.

"Er, thank you, Pip," the Wolf Faunus began hesitantly. "I appreciate the save."

The blonde flashed her a quick smile, her coral eyes twinkling with a humor that hadn't been seen since her return to Beacon. "All part of the service, ma'am," she snarked.

"Be that as it may," Indie stated as she walked up, her now-inert nunchucks slung negligently across her shoulder. "We owe you guys a dinner or something for bailing our asses out."

"I would never turn down an offer of free food," Lustre commented mildly.

Pip snorted humorously. "So long as it would melt the face of a normal mortal," she quipped.

Raye joined Lustre in her laughter, knowing full well her friend's propensity for spicy food. "Well, maybe we can find a restaurant in town that can satisfy," the brunette Wolf Faunus said.

"Done deal," Pip replied with a grin. "We'll hold you to that, soon as we kill off all these enhanced Grimm."

"What's up with those, do you guys know?" Indie broke in, her brow furrowed. She had her eyes on the four combined members of IRIS and PERL who were still battling the remaining Grimm in their area, though they had things well in hand. "Why were they glowing green? And how could they do that, y'know… roar of theirs? That was in no way normal…"

Pip and Lustre shared a knowing glance. "No, it's not natural at all," the blonde stated quietly. "But let's clean up first and then go rest, they set up a bivouac in the square just inside the gate here with some refreshments. We'll tell you about what's going on…"

City of Vale  
Early Monday Morning

The sun was just beginning to crest over the horizon, illuminating several weary faces inside the wide boulevard that Lustre found herself encamped within. It had been a very long night, made even more onerous by the lack of any sleep whatsoever by her team.

The silver-haired girl glanced around at her friends with weary eyes. Both Evie and Beryl were slumped over together, sitting on the ground and propped up against a storefront. They'd been quietly snoring for some time now, and by unspoken agreement, she and Pip had decided to leave them be.

Speaking of her team leader, the blonde was currently sitting with Indie from Team IRIS, their heads together as they brainstormed anything that might give them an advantage over these strange new enhanced Grimm that kept popping up now. The glowing monsters were aggressively testing the defenses of Vale, and if the reports from the vid screen set up nearby were true, the same could be said in the other three kingdoms as well.

They just never seemed to end. When one red-glowing Nevermore was felled, usually after inflicting hideous losses, a pack of speed-enhanced Beowolves would charge in.

Lustre glanced aside at the other three members of the team she was friends with. Both Raye and Ivory were resting with their eyes closed, sitting against the same storefront as Beryl and Evie, though neither Faunus girl looked to be truly sleeping, merely recharging their aura. Raye especially, as a Dust Mage, was running quite low on energy.

Sepia, meanwhile, had removed her dark brown leather armor chestpiece and attached cuisse, revealing her red tights and corset, in order to perform some quick repairs. The brunette's long hair was coming out of its braid, small tendrils of hair floating about her head unnoticed, while her buckler and spear lay at her side within reach.

With a groan, Lustre levered herself up and off of the crate she sat on so that she might approach the younger member of the friendly team. Sepia had been accepted into Beacon a year early due to her promising academic attributes and skill with her weapons.

"How are you doing, dear?' she asked softly as she shuffled over. "Can I get you anything?"

Sepia looked up with a smile, her lilac eyes warm and inviting. "Nah, thanks, hon, I'm good. Wouldn't mind the company, though."

She smiled and nodded, easing herself onto another crate nearby. "Was your armor damaged?" she asked curiously.

"Just got a strap loosened when a Beowolf hit me on my blind side," Sepia shrugged. "It happens with leather armor, but I'll take the maneuverability over wearing clunky metal like your teammates." She glanced over with a wry grin. "Still don't know how you manage to melee without getting yourself whacked more often."

"I am simply too fast to be hit," Lustre replied smugly. "Well. Usually," she amended, thinking back to their fight with Leech just last evening.

Both of their heads whipped around at a loud screeching that echoed over the walls. A veteran hunter team was now guarding the gate, allowing the Beacon students some rest, but they still eyed the skies above cautiously before returning to their conversation.

"So everything that Pip talked about..." Sepia murmured, working a buckle back onto a newly tightened strap. "The dust-infused Grimm, and then what they did to her… How are you guys handling that so far?"

Lustre shrugged. "As best we can. Together and as a family."

The brunette laughed softly. "Yeah, you guys are like the closest-knit team I've ever seen. Seriously, I would give my left boob for a team like that."

Lustre raised an eyebrow humorously. "I thought you and your team got along well enough? And, furthermore… Why your left boob, specifically?"

Sepia snickered as she pulled her armor over her head. "Yeah, we all get along, when Ivory isn't being a prickly Fox Faunus. I swear that girl should be Hedgehog, not Fox. And when Indie's not trying to blow us all up in team practice. Or Raye isn't testing out some new idea for dust applications that vaporizes all of our clothes while we're in the training room."

The silver haired girl raised a hand to her mouth, stifling her laugh. "No, she did not!"

"Oh yes, she did. We made her run back to the room and get us new clothes. Fast as she moved, you woulda thought she had your semblance."

"Oh, dear," Lustre sighed affectionately. "Well, as close as our team is, we do still have our moments. Pip does enjoy incessant teasing, which often ends in threats of bodily harm by dear Beryl. And, as I mentioned earlier, now that both Evie and my partner are a couple, their tendencies for overaffection does often dominate our group outings."

"They sure are awfully cute together," Sepia mused, glancing at the dozing pair. "Adorkable, even."

"Just wait until they begin with the looks."

"The looks?"

"Yes, you know… the ones where it seems as if they block out everything else and gaze longingly into each other's eyes…" Lustre placed the back of her hand on her forehead and sighed dramatically. "Oh, my sweet Evie, how I long to share in your embrace for evermore…"

Sepia snorted in laughter, which only increased when an empty energy drink bottle soared over to bounce off of Lustre's head.

"Stop makin' fun of us, Lustre!" Beryl scolded blearily.

"Yes, dear. Go back to sleep."

Her brunette friend sighed, wiping away a tear of mirth. "But as far as my left boob goes, eh, it's not my favorite. My right one is bigger."

Lustre eyed her uncertainly, glancing down at the girl's fairly large endowment. "It is?"

"Yep."

"Why…? Never mind. I suddenly no longer wish to know any further."

Sepia snorted in amusement as she stood, stretching her arms over her head. "It's funny how much of a prude you can be. And I mean that in the nicest way possible, believe me."

"It is not prudishness," Lustre objected mildly. "I simply do not understand this fascination with people's anatomy."

"Well, I wasn't getting any complaints from the last guy I dated…"

"Again, Sepia, I truly do not wish to know the details…"

Their banter was interrupted by a loud crash as Pip surged to her feet and lunged over towards the vid monitor which had been on mute. "Son of a whore!" she yelled angrily, smacking at the button to enable the audio once more.

The commotion woke up the members of both teams, who craned their necks curiously to see what the fuss was all about. Centered on the screen was a broad-shouldered man wearing an expensive-looking three piece suit, a crisp white shirt and red tie. He had neatly trimmed hair and a beard, but his pale green eyes glittered dangerously even via the remote feed.

"People of Remnant," the man began. "My name is Malachite."

"Fuck me sideways with a Dust shard," Beryl cursed bitterly as she pulled Evie to her feet. "That really him, Pip?"

Pip nodded wordlessly, her fists clenched tightly at her sides as she stood there, riveted by the scene.

"I'm sure many of you have heard about the new plague that has swept the four kingdoms," the man continued. "A plague of not just Grimm, but new and deadly versions of these same creatures. Monsters to put the average Grimm to shame, monsters to make you quail in fear and turn to your saviors for protection."

Lustre glided forward and slipped a supporting arm around her team leader's waist. She noted that Pip's skin temperature was slightly elevated, but once she was joined by both Beryl and Evie it began to cool once more.

"I am here to tell you, citizens of Remnant, that these very saviors who you look up to, these paragons of virtue, are nothing more than opportunists and elitists who care little for your safety! Indeed, they knew about this deadly new strain of Grimm months ago, as early as a week prior to the start of the Vytal Festival! And did they tell us, the common people, about this danger?"

"That bastard," Pip breathed. "That conniving, megalomaniac _bastard_ …"

"These elitists, this upper class of politicians and hunters who consider themselves above the laws we have established, humans and Faunus alike, they _knew_ about this threat. They knew, and they did nothing. And now the threat is no longer remote, it is no longer an abstraction, it is _here_ , right now, at our very doorsteps! And they want you to remain _calm_ , to obey their _instructions_ , to _trust_ in them?

"I tell you this, my good people of Remnant. This is not the time for calm. This is the time for us to see our masters in the light of their failure to protect us. For that is what these elitists are, _masters_! They have enslaved our civilization, making deals out of the public eye, all in the name of greater security! Without even realizing it, we have sacrificed what little liberty we had while lien quietly changed hands in the boardrooms, in the politicians offices, in the Headmaster's' suites at the top of their ivory towers!"

"What in Oum's name is he doing?" Indie asked worriedly.

Lustre shook her head, dread coursing through her veins. "He is inciting a revolution."

"Oh, Dust…" Beryl moaned.

"It is natural for us to cling to hope, shutting our eyes to the painful truth when the very foundations of our tightly-held beliefs are called into question. This is not the time for such inaction, my friends. The lives of our families are at stake, our husbands and wives, our children, our siblings, our very way of life. For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst and to provide for it. I have but one ideal by which my feet are guided, and that is that of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And as we have seen, our so-called 'protectors' have failed us time and time again.

"Are we willing to let history repeat itself? Are we willing to stand by while the hunters sing their platitudes, while the politicians call for reasonable discourse that would only fall upon deaf ears once more? Are we willing, people of Remnant, to simply lie down and accept this fate?

"I for one am not willing to do so. As soon as I heard of this new plague, I have worked diligently to secure a solution, one that might give us a chance, humanity and Faunuskind, at survival. But even now, as I work to allow us all true protection, the likes of which has been denied to us by the very men and women who supposedly serve as our guardians, these elitists oppose me and seek to bring about my downfall.

"You're damn right we're gonna bring you down," Pip snarled quietly. "And it's gonna be my boot on your neck when it happens, you sick bastard."

"People of Vale, of Vacuo, of Mistral, and of Atlas. We are united in this belief that we are not slaves, but a free people. The elitists call us weak as they extend their poisonous hand over us in shelter, but together we are anything but! I say to you again, _we are not weak_! Take up arms, my friends, and wrest back control of our lives from those would consider us already firmly beneath their heel! Free Remnant from the oppressors and tyrants who lord their power over our heads and yet fail to grant us the very basic protections they once promised!

"People of Remnant, reclaim this world as your own!"

There was a collective silence as the screen went to static. No news broadcast replaced the visage of the suited man, no message regarding a network outage or the like.

"So," Lustre began, breaking the quiet of their little group. "It would seem he now controls the CCT somehow."

"Yeah," Pip agreed quietly. "So no way to rebut his little speech."

"Gotta give the maniac props, though," Ivory commented mildly. "It was a good speech."

Pip stepped forward and out of the embrace of her other three teammates. She placed her hand on top of the map of Vale that had been laid out across a table, and where it rested small tendrils of smoke curled up.

"I'm not letting him get away with this," the blonde growled quietly.

Indie stepped over, glancing at her team before giving Pip a firm nod. "What can we do to help?"

Pip sighed and stood upright again, her arms wrapped around her silver chestplate. "We need something, a clue we've overlooked. Ozpin still hasn't gotten anything of importance off of the information raid we went on, most of the revealing stuff was scrubbed."

"He did find one interesting item," Lustre interjected, thinking back to her last conversation with their Headmaster when scrolls were still functioning. "The android guards for his facilities were purchased from his financial supplier."

"Really?" Evie asked eagerly. "So, if we trace the droids back to the company…"

"...We could find who's banking him," Sepia finished. "But I thought there were no available remains to study? Didn't all the bases, um, blow up?"

"But we fought them," Pip stated, a gleam in her eyes.

"Indeed," Lustre added. "Perhaps we can visually identify them?"

"How can we though without the network being up?" Ivory asked curiously.

Both Sepia and Lustre opened their mouths to speak at the same time, but the brunette girl indicated that the PERL team member should proceed.

"The Beacon library can access the same information offline," Lustre stated. "It was a redundant backup put into place following the Event forty years ago."

"Alright, here's what I'm thinking," Pip mused, tapping a finger against her chin. "Indie, if your team could go to Ozpin with this information and see that he's up to date, we'll go to the library and do some research."

Indie nodded firmly. "I'm sure we'll be needed elsewhere soon, we're going to be spread pretty damn thin if there's civil unrest on top of the Grimm attacks."

"Hey, I got a question about that," Raye interjected. "What's this thing he was talking about, this 'solution' to the Grimm?"

"He already has it in place," Pip replied steadily. "They're all his creations, and he has a control chip installed. I'm sure he has a way to turn them off, or maybe even just kill them. It makes sense, he comes out on top as everybody's glorious savior."

"Well, like you said," Indie said firmly. "Not gonna let him get away with it."

The eight friends set out together towards the airbuses that would return them to Beacon, while in the distance fires began to rage downtown in the city.

Beacon Academy Library  
Monday Morning

"Okay, what about this one?"

"No, different head," Lustre replied wearily.

Pip let out a frustrated snort. "Babe, that's all the latest models we could find. If it's corporate, it should be here."

"What about older models?" Beryl chimed in, browsing from another adjacent display. "Here are ones just recently retired, maybe the money guy was too cheap to give his best to Malachite?"

"Damn, sweetie, that's brilliant thinking!" Evie grinned as she leaned over to give her girlfriend a peck on the cheek.

"Eh, not really, it's just a thought…" Beryl blushed.

"Wait, there!" Lustre suddenly shouted, pointing to a silhouette in the upper right corner of the screen.

Beryl obediently touched the screen there, and it expanded to fill up the entire display, rotating to show the model from all angles.

"I think…" Pip mused.

Lustre nodded. "Yes."

"Yeah, I'll be damned, that's the one," Evie breathed. "So who's it… oh. Well, Grimmshit."

The informational text below the model reported that that particular android, having been retired from use for only a few months, had been exclusively used by the very company that created them.

The Schnee Dust Company.

"Guys…" Beryl looked around at her team worriedly. "This is… Well, this is huge. You don't just go accusing the largest dust supplier on Remnant of this kinda thing."

"Wasn't planning on taking the polite route," Pip growled, standing upright. "I was thinking of asking with my sword in the face of one Damian Schnee.

"Whoa now, sweetie," Evie implored, grabbing hold of her partner's wrist. "You sure you wanna do this?"

Pip nodded resolutely. "There's no way we can wait, especially with comms down. This is it, the weak link of this bastard, and I aim to take advantage of it before he knows I'm coming for him. You guys, though… You don't have to come along, you don't want the kind of trouble this can cause if it goes wrong."

Beryl sighed, shaking her head as she stood up from her chair. "I swear to Oum, Pip, you exasperate the Dust outta me sometimes."

"It's like she just doesn't listen to us," Evie agreed, walking towards the exit with her arm linked with her girlfriend's.

"It is alright, dear," Lustre said kindly, patting Pip on the shoulder as she walked by to follow her teammates. "You have had quite a bit on your mind lately. We forgive you for your idiocy."

Pip stood there blankly for a moment before hurrying over to catch up with her sisters-in-arms.

"You know we're gonna catch hell for this," the blonde remarked.

"Pfft," Beryl scoffed. "We're only gonna steal the long-range Bulldog we used earlier…"

"Desert our posts defending Vale," Lustre added.

"And then threaten the head of a multi-billion lien company with bodily harm and accuse him of consorting with a madman," Evie finished cheerfully. "What could go wrong?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally took the time to flesh out Team IRIS. Thought it'd be nice to have another team for PERL to interact with, even if they are a year ahead of them.
> 
> The speech by Malachite was mostly just off the top of my head, with a few inspirations from Patrick Henry. So now we know the extent of Malachite's plans. And the Schnees are about to have a whole world of hurt land on their heads…


	23. Renegades

**Volume 2  
**

En Route To Atlas  
Monday Evening

Beryl fidgeted in her seat, eyeing the distant water flowing past the window at breakneck speeds with a certain amount of trepidation. It was, she thought wanly, somewhat justified.

They were hurtling across the sea towards Atlas in a long-range Bulldog to assault the residence of the CEO of the biggest corporation on Remnant. Just the four of them, herself and three people she couldn't afford to lose.

_How in Oum's name am I gonna be able to protect them all?_

Said Bulldog, of course, had taken a certain amount of fast-talking charm from Pip to appropriate. It helped that they'd just brought Team PERL back from a raid on a Vacuo base. Also, the lack of any communications due to the appropriation of the CCT tower signal by Malachite gave some credence to the emergency flight they needed to undertake.

Pip might have glossed over the fact that said flight was not, in fact, authorized.

The blue-haired girl turned to glance around the cabin where her teammates rested. Pip and Lustre were leaning up against each other, peacefully catching up on the sleep they'd all been denied over the past two days. Evie was curled up on her side with her head in Beryl's lap, in a position that would have been incredibly uncomfortable for anyone other than a Cat Faunus.

She kept her gaze on her girlfriend, reaching over to gently run her hands through her raven tresses.

_Dust, how I love this girl… I can't let anything happen to you, Evie, I nearly died when you almost got trapped underground… What would I ever do if I truly lost you?_

"You're thinking very hard," Evie murmured, her eyes still closed. "And they're all bad thoughts. So stop it."

Beryl chuckled lightly. "Oh, you can tell that with your eyes closed, huh?"

"Yep," she replied smugly, finally peering up with her brilliant sapphire orbs that Beryl felt she could stare into for hours at a time. Had done so, actually. "You also grind your teeth when you're worried."

She consciously unclenched her jaw, though she hadn't noticed the tension before. Without saying anything, she kept stroking her girlfriend's hair and gazing down at her affectionately.

"It'll be alright, sweetie," Evie whispered, still facing her. "We're a kickass team, and nobody's expecting this."

"Well, to be fair, it's a pretty insane plan," Beryl snickered, her dark mood slowly lifting just from her girlfriend's presence.

"Those always seem to work for us, though," Evie quipped back. She shot a glance over to their other two teammates before sitting upright and linking her hands behind Beryl's neck. "Now, do you perhaps need a little more distraction from your worries?"

"Need? No," Beryl grinned as she leaned in towards Evie's inviting lips. "Want? Oh, most definitely…"

Some time later they were interrupted by the pilot's notification of their approaching target. Both Pip and Lustre groaned while sitting upright and rubbing the sleep from their eyes. In Pip's case, she had to wipe the customary line of drool from her face as well.

The blonde stood to stretch but stopped in mid-motion, glaring at the pair seated across from her. "Did you two get any rest, or were you smackin' lips the whole flight?"

'I rested!" Evie protested, trying to be unobtrusive as she wiped her mouth off with her sleeve.

"It's true, though, kissing her is very relaxing," Beryl giggled, earning her a lighthearted smack of Evie's tail across her nose.

"Oum, you two," Lustre sighed affectionately. "Were you at least able to get Beryl to cease in her brooding?"

"I don't… brood," Beryl muttered.

"Oh, babe, yes you do," Pip snarked. "You worry too much."

"Actually, I think I do just the right amount of worrying," Beryl retorted as she gathered her shield and weapon. "We don't even know for sure if he's gonna be home, and we don't know the layout of the place, or the security forces…"

"Well, I might be able to assuage some of that," Lustre replied calmly. "I copied the layout of the Schnee mansion before we left the library."

"What? We could've been studying that!" Beryl protested.

Evie cleared her throat. "We were supposed to be resting," she chided gently.

"Oh, right."

"In any case," Lustre continued, "I have the plans memorized already. I shall guide us up to his study, which is where his safe room is located. As far as opposition goes, Damian is famous for relying primarily on non-sentient guards."

"Androids? Excellent," Pip grinned. "No need to hold back any."

"They are likely to be more advanced models, however," Lustre reminded the team leader. "Now, as to whether Damian Schnee himself is there, I believe it is a fairly high probability. Communications are down for everyone else, but if he is involved as we suspect then he should also be allowed to stay in the loop, as it were. And since the communications of all the office buildings are tied through a central switchboard…"

"...Then everyone in the company would know something fishy is going on," Beryl finished for her partner with a grin. "Hence, at the mansion. I'm guessing it has its own interface?"

"Precisely," Lustre said with a return grin. "Any further questions?"

"What's Beryl's favorite food?" Evie asked quite seriously.

"Chocolate brownies, though she will never admit to it," Lustre replied just as solemnly.

"Good to know, thanks."

Beryl sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Are we done here?"

"Actually," Pip mused. "I do have some questions about how much longer it's gonna take for the two of you-"

"Let me rephrase that!" Beryl shouted irritably. "We are done here!"

"Spoilsport," the blonde grinned. "Alright then, ladies, let's gear up and go deliver a smackdown on some rich snob."

"One word of caution, if I may," Lustre interjected as they stood. "I am unsure whether or not Damian's sister, Frost, shall be there. She graduated from Atlas Academy some time ago but then dropped from sight. Rumor has it she is part of the family organization, but it is unconfirmed."

"Right," Pip stated confidently. "Android guards and one potential hunter-level threat. What about golden boy?"

"He has had no training. So far as I was able to determine he does not even possess the family semblance."

"Good," Evie grinned. "Then he'll crack easily."

"We're, um… we're not gonna actually beat him up, are we?" Beryl asked worriedly.

"Nah, maybe just rough him up a bit if he won't talk," Pip replied nonchalantly. "Hopin' it won't come to that."

With that, the pilot gave them a ten-second warning as the side door opened. Beryl peeked her head out, squinting against the wind to spy a looming manor, at least three stories high and sprawling, coming up fast. The Bulldog dove down to tree level in deference to Pip's less-than-stellar aura levels, and then the four of them were spilling out the door.

Immediately upon hitting the snow-covered ground, they were engaged in combat as the perimeter android guards attacked. Bright beams of hard-light weaponry whizzed by them, clanging off of Beryl' shield as she crouched.

A quick flick of her wrist changed _Shashka_ into a carbine, and she returned fire. Her brow furrowed as an approaching silhouette took three hits until it fell.

"Takes more to bring them down!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Evie? Where you at?"

Her gaze swung to the side as her girlfriend appeared, crouching and with an eager grin on her face. "Oh, you know, here and there, sweetie." With that she blinked away again, reappearing on the flanks of the advancing guards. A concussive blast from _Dao_ sent them sprawling, and actually tore the closer ones apart.

"I love you, even if you are a smartass!" Beryl cheerfully sang out, directing her fire to the ones now struggling to regain their footing.

"Beryl, duck!"

She reflexively dropped into a side roll at the sound of Pip's voice, avoiding the slash from an android just in time.

"Stealthy for a hunk of metal," she grumbled, shooting to her feet and slamming _Dahl_ into the droid. Her other hand was changing her weapon back into a sword and quickly plunged it into its torso before it could follow up its strike.

Once her opponent was down, she turned to see who else needed help. Lustre was just finishing off a pair of androids, her staff knocking both of their heads clean off of their torsos with one swing, while Pip was braced on one knee and firing up at the roof of the mansion.

"Okay," the blonde reported, rising to her feet. "Roof guards taken care of. How're we looking?"

"Clear," Beryl reported tersely, her heswivelinging around to search for the girlfriend.

She grinned when she felt a quick peck on her cheek. "Clear," Evie stated as she slipped her arm around Beryl's shoulders.

"I am clear as well," Lustre answered, striding up with her staff across her shoulder. "We should move in soon. I shall take us to the staff entrance, it is likely not as guarded."

They moved as a coordinated group, Beryl in front with Evie and Pip on her heels. Lustre brought up the rear as usual, calling out directions as they neared the mansion.

The blue-haired girl pulled to a stop outside what looked to be a regular-sized door, bordered by an empty parking lot and guarded by a keypad lock.

"Lustre, you wanna use your patented picklocking ability?" Beryl smirked.

"What's this, now?" Pip asked curiously. "You guys pick up some new skills?"

"Oh, yeah, very high-tech," Evie giggled.

"I am not certain it will work here, but I suppose I will give it a try," Lustre commented. She stepped forward and blew out the lock with her staff. There was no change to the door. "Ah, well. Other ideas?"

Pip snorted humorously. "Yeah, real elegant there. Evie, all yours, babe."

The Cat Faunus grinned and stepped forward, flicking a switch on her scimitar. She brought it swinging overhand straight down, blowing the door inwards off of its hinges and blasting into a group of androids waiting for them.

"Nothing personal, Lustre, but I think I like Evie's entry method better," Beryl grinned, striding forward with her shield raised.

"It certainly has more flair," the silver-haired girl agreed. She opened fire down the hallway they'd entered, taking out another pair of android reinforcements. "Though, I would opine that they are aware of our entry point by now."

"Well, that just saves us the time of running them all down," Pip quipped. Her sniper rifle was to her shoulder, though she didn't bother with the scope at this range. The higher caliber bullets from her gun would shatter the heads of androids with one satisfying hit.

As they advanced forward steadily, it did seem as if a veritable army of non-sentient guards were occupying the mansion. Mechanical limbs, electrical wiring, and other chassis remains littered the floor as they headed through the hallways and up the staircase of a grandiose foyer that stretched the full three stories.

Halfway up they almost got pinned down by a coordinated assault from above and below them, were it not for the maneuverability of half of their team. Lustre raced down the stairs, using her momentum to bowl over the advancing androids, while Evie blinked back and forth along the top stairs and balcony, shredding the opposition while Pip and Beryl provided cover fire.

"You know what?" Pip asked idly as they resumed their trek upwards. "I don't think these new models are that much of an improvement over the older ones we fought."

"Well, they're tougher," Beryl commented.

"But no greater capability," Lustre added.

Evie gave a small thoughtful _hum_. "I wonder if there's money to be made in android testing?"

Pip let out an amused snort as she changed _Odachi Dahlia_ into a greatsword once more. "Well, if he's in a talkative mood, you could always ask Damian." She glanced at a heavy wooden door at the top of the staircase. "So this is it, then?"

Lustre nodded. "Indeed."

"Alright then…" She reached forward and tentatively tested the handle. It turned easily.

"Okay, I've seen enough vids to know what happens next," Beryl murmured, hefting her sword in readiness.

Evie nodded. "Boss fight?"

"Boss fight. Maybe Frost Schnee?"

"Guess we're gonna find out," Pip stated. They spread out to either side of the door before Pip gave it a push inwards. The four girls paused a moment, but no attack was forthcoming.

"Well, are you going to remain out in the hallway all day?" a feminine voice called out. It was fairly high-pitched, but not unpleasantly so. In fact, her tone of voice was somewhat welcoming, if not downright amused.

Pip gave a shrug and turned the corner, sword in hand but not held up aggressively, while the others spread out behind her and into a room that could have hosted a ballroom dance. Instead, it was lined with bookshelves, overstuffed chairs, and reading lamps.

At the far end stood a slender woman a little shorter than Lustre. Her white hair was chin-length and similar to Beryl's in style, though she held it away from her face with silver hairclips. She wore an abbreviated short-sleeved white jacket over what seemed to be a tube top, a skirt, and heeled combat boots, the entire ensemble in a matching color. A sword was belted to her side, though at this distance it was difficult to tell the type of it just from the hilt.

"So, these are the best our competitors can come up with?" she asked amusedly, shaking her head as she made a _tsk_ ing sound. "I mean, you made quick work of the droid guards, but still. I'd have thought after the last few times they'd have learned their lesson. So who sent you this time?"

Pip looked around at her friends blanky. "Um, Frost, is it? I'm not sure who you're talking about, but we're from Beacon. Well," she amended hastily, "we're not here representing Beacon, that is… See, we need to talk to Damian."

Frost quirked an eyebrow. "I realize the CCT is down, but appointments are still made in civilized society."

"Yeah, I don't think what your brother is involved in is all that civilized, really," Pip answered sarcastically.

"My brother is involved in many things," Frost retorted, her cheeks flushing. "He has to do much to ensure the survivability of our family's company, and I do not have to justify his actions to the likes of you."

"The likes of me?" Pip retorted angrily. "What, am I that far beneath you, Princess?"

"Princess?" Frost bristled, her hand clenching over her sword. "I'll show you 'Princess', you uncouth lout…"

"Whelp, here we go," Beryl sighed as their opponent drew her sword. Pip hefted hers eagerly, waiting for the white-haired woman to make her move, though Lustre quickly stepped out in front of her.

"Is that _Myrtenaster_?" she asked.

Frost paused, having pushed a foot back in preparation of launching herself into battle. "Er… yes?"

"The legendary sword of Weiss Schnee," Lustre continued, a faint smile on her face.

"Yes, that's right," Frost stood upright, all thoughts of combat gone. "How do you know about this? It's a family heirloom…"

"We have studied the exploits of Team Ruby for some time," Lustre explained as she walked forward.

Pip glanced at the others incredulously. "What is she doing?" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

"I don't know just go with it!" Evie murmured back quickly.

"You see, we had the honor of coming under the very brief mentorship of Ruby Rose," Lustre continued, walking forward until she was a few feet away from the confused-looking huntress.

"Ruby Rose?" Frost exclaimed excitedly. "Aunt Weiss' partner!"

"Indeed. She showed us a picture once of her old team, I do recall seeing her partner. In fact," Lustre smiled at her gently. "You look very similar to her, save for the hair length."

Frost looked down at her feet, blushing lightly. "Yes, I could never let it grow out, it would always get in the way of combat…" She sighed and looked back up at Lustre. "Aunt Weiss meant the world to me, she was my idol. She died when I was pretty young still."

Lustre nodded, a warm smile on her face. "I can see that you respected her greatly, enough to carry on her legacy with her chosen weapon at your side."

"Thank you," Frost whispered. "Not… everyone gets that."

"Perhaps not even your brother?"

"No… definitely not Damian." She sighed. "Still, he's my older brother, and all we have left of the family for now."

Lustre nodded solemnly. "Does that justify following him blindly, though?"

The huntress' face stilled. "What do you mean?" she asked carefully.

"I mean this deal with Malachite. You do realize he is the cause of all the death and destruction currently underway, do you not?"

"I…" Frost glanced behind her at what appeared to be a normally-concealed heavy steel door, now uncovered by the bookcase that had been slid aside. "He is my brother," she could only murmur desperately.

Lustre glanced over her shoulder. "You have met Pip, I believe? I apologize for her antagonistic ways, we have grown accustomed to them by now."

"Hey!" Pip protested weakly.

"In any case," Lustre continued softly. "She is my sister by a bond stronger than blood. I care very deeply for her." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Malachite hurt her, very badly. Do you know what he has done to the Grimm?"

Frost nodded, her eyes wide and clearly dreading Lustre's next words.

"He did the same to her," the silver-haired girl said levelly. "Almost killed her. Even now, if she did not take her medication, she would likely die. He did, however, kill her boyfriend in front of her using the same methods."

Frost's ice-blue eyes switched over to Pip, a look of horror now in them. "I'm… I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"This is what Malachite is capable of," Lustre continued relentlessly. "I do not know what he has promised you or your brother, but it will not come to pass. He is a madman, and he means to destroy the world."

Pip, Beryl, and Evie shared a glance as the white-haired huntress visibly wavered. They remained as motionless as possible otherwise, not willing to break the spell that Lustre seemed to have woven over the other woman.

Finally Frost hesitantly opened her mouth again. "What… is your name?"

"I am Lustre Bijou. Behind me are my teammates, Pip Cerise, Evie Black, and Beryl."

Frost nodded wanly to them in turn. "Well, Lustre… I cannot allow you to kill my brother."

"We do not wish to kill him, merely question him. We need to know where Malachite is now so that he may be stopped."

Frost nodded again, chewing on her bottom lip anxiously. She glanced up at Lustre suddenly. "Weren't you a finals entrant in the Vytal Tournament?"

"Indeed, I was."

"Hmm. So was I during my time in Atlas. Didn't win it either, much to the dissatisfaction of dear old grandpa…" Frost seemed to make up her mind suddenly. "I have stipulations."

Lustre nodded agreeably, still serving as the team's spokesperson in this instance. "Very well."

"No harm must come to my brother. I understand if… if this gets out he will need to answer for what he has done… but that should be to the authorities."

Lustre glanced over her shoulder, receiving nods from her three teammates. "Agreed."

"And… when you confront Malachite… I want to be there."

Lustre started slightly in surprise, but quickly nodded. "Absolutely. And if I may… You aunt would be proud of you."

"Well... " Frost sighed as she tucked her sword away and turned towards the steel door. "I'm afraid I've been a bit of a letdown, putting my family ahead of what I knew to be right… but perhaps I can still make amends."

"It is never too late for redemption," Lustre agreed.

Frost typed a string of numbers into the pad, causing it to open with a hiss of hydraulics. "Damian, come out please."

"Have you dealt with those pests already?" a voice preceded the man they had been looking for. He paused in the doorway, the ice-blue eyes that matched his sister's glittering dangerously. "Oh, Frost," he murmured. "I am most disappointed in you."

"As am I in you, brother," she replied softly. "I have someone you should meet."

"What, from these four children?" he scoffed haughtily. "What could someone like them possibly offer to reconcile this blatant betrayal of our family?"

Pip stepped forward, determination blazing in her coral eyes. "Does the phrase 'Phase Two' mean anything to you?"

His posture stiffened ever so slightly before turning back to his sister. "You are no real Schnee if you submit to this," he snarled. "What about all the sacrifices we have made, hmm? Everything we have done-"

"Does not atone for what Malachite is doing," Frost interrupted him sadly.

He let out a huff as he turned back to look down his nose at the invading team. "So, I'm to guess you're looking for Lord Malachite?" he sneered. "Please. You are beneath me and a waste of my time. Be off with you."

Pip calmly walked over to him until she was within arm's reach. "What, you don't think we could make you talk?"

"Ha! You know you cannot touch me. Don't you realize who I am, what I could do to you or those you love?"

The blonde nodded slowly. "Yeah, suppose I can see how all this power could go to that pointy little head of yours…" She leaned towards him slightly, and the deadly smirk on her face caused his sneer to falter somewhat. "Do you wanna take a guess as to what Malachite did to me? I'll give you a hint, it has to do with that little phrase I said earlier…"

At that, his eyes widened slightly as his facade began to crack, but it still wasn't enough to get him to submit.

"Ah, so you _do_ know what they did to me," she purred. Beryl exchanged a glance with Evie, unused to her taking such a dark tone.

"Now, I have one more question for you," Pip continued, her voice dropping even further. "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to burn from the inside out?"

She slowly raised her hand up, reaching out to Damian's arm. Frost made a small move from behind him as if to object, but Lustre stepped over and shook her head, whispering urgently into her ear.

Damian eyed the hand as it approached, unable to hide the tremors running through his body.

"I could show you, if you like," the blonde whispered, her voice dripping with eagerness. She clamped down onto his arm, and Beryl could see her shoulders tensing up, evidently struggling to conjure up her semblance past the aura blockers. It must have at least worked enough to warm his arm, as he let out a frantic yelp and jumped back nervously, but Pip's grip remained firm.

"Alright, alright! I'll give you the coordinates to his base here!" he shouted, his eyes wide and panicky.

The blonde removed her hand, her muscles visibly relaxing. "There, now, was that so hard?" she smirked.

As visibly shaken as he looked, he was back in control after the coordinates had been input into Lustre's scroll, his sneer firmly in place, though this time it was directed at Frost.

"And just like that, you abandon me," he said in a bitingly patronizing tone. "You own brother. The only family you have left."

Frost sighed as she gazed down on the floor. "I made a promise, brother of mine," she murmured. "I promised first to mother, and then to our grandfather, that I would always look out for you before anything else." She glanced up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "I don't believe they would have reconciled with what you've done here, though."

"Oh, please," he scoffed. "I've done much worse, all in the name of protecting our company, our legacy! And don't sully my own achievements with that doddering old-" He cut himself off suddenly, clamping his mouth shut with an audible _click_.

Frost stood motionless, her eyes dancing about Damian's face as if she were thinking very hard about something.

"Um, Frost?" Pip asked hesitantly. "Miss Schnee? We really should get going soon…"

She took a faltering step forward in her brother's direction, her lower lip trembling. "Damian," she whispered. "What have you done?"

Damian's eyes were a little wild, flickering between his sister and, oddly enough, Pip.

Unwilling to waste any more time, but also cognizant of the need to placate their new and welcome ally, the blonde took another step towards Damian with her hand outstretched.

"No!" he shouted, backing away. "Don't you touch me!"

"Then answer her question," Pip snarled. "What did you do?"

"I… I don't know what…"

"You killed him," Frost finally murmured incredulously. "Didn't you? The mysterious illness that was always rumored to be poisoning… And then the rumors about you being the culprit, that you insisted were just our competitors trying to tear us down in our grief… They were true, weren't they?"

"Yes!" he finally shouted, his blue eyes flashing. "Yes, it's true, alright? He was taking forever to step down, Aunt Weis was gone, mother and father were gone… I should have been running the company already! And look what I've done with it to date, we are respected and feared, the most powerful company in all of Remnant!"

Frost stared at him, her face slowly hardening in resolve until she simply turned and walked towards the exit. "Let's go," she said shortly to Pip in passing.

The blonde nodded, gathering the team up with a glance as they followed the huntress out.

"Fine, then, go!" he shouted after his sister. "I don't need you, Frost! I can run the company by myself, do you really think anything you say will stick to me? I have legions of lawyers, entire courts in my pocket! You'll never touch me! Do you hear me? Frost?"

There was no answer forthcoming, his ranting only answered by silence.

"Frost!" he screamed, his face contorting in a brief rage before morphing into something that might have resembled pain.

He sagged against his ornate desk, his arms propping him up behind him. "Frost," he whispered.

"I do believe your sister had abandoned you," a resonantly deep voice echoed throughout the study.

Damian's eyes shot over towards the entrance where Leech was slowly walking into the room.

"Leech!" he exclaimed, heartened. "Excellent, there has been a breach in my mansion, you should-"

"Yes, I noticed," the gangly man murmured. "I also overheard everything."

At that, Damian paled noticeably, his throat closing up in fear.

Leech made a _tsk_ ing sound as he approached. "You really shouldn't have talked."

It took only a few minutes of contact with Damian's skin until his lifeless body dropped the the floor at Leech's feet. Once done, he turned and calmly walked out the way he came, flicking open his scroll as he went.

"Lord Malachite," he intoned gravely.

"Yes, Leech?"

"I'm afraid your financier revealed your location. He has been disposed of. However, those children are on their way, accompanied by the Schnee girl."

"Well, then," Malachite chuckled over the line. "Best get back here to prepare a proper reception."

"As you wish, Lord Malachite."

He snapped the scroll shut, listening to the sounds of a Bulldog rising from the grounds. His own transport was significantly faster, and his entry point far less opposed than they would be.

He would be there in plenty of time.

An unusually anticipatory smile pulled the skin back on his skeletal visage as he headed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, and you all were wondering how Frost could go along with Damian's crap. Redemption shall be obtained. And, finally, we're setting up for the big two-chapter confrontation! Whee, I'm bouncing in my chair in anticipation!


	24. Vigilantes

**Volume 2  
**

Somewhere Over Atlas  
Monday Night

Unlike their flight from Beacon, the trip from the Schnee Manor to Malachite's base was fairly short. Their new ally, Frost Schnee, wasn't in much of a talkative mood, which was understandable considering the revelation she'd just received.

"So, her brother actually murdered their grandfather, just to take over the company early?" Beryl murmured to her girlfriend sitting next to her.

Evie nodded somberly. "Seems that way, sweetie."

"That's just so… awful. How could someone do that?"

"Oh, Beryl," the Cat Faunus sighed affectionately. "Even with everything going on, it's hard for you to see the bad in people, isn't it?"

The blue-haired girl shrugged slightly as she snuggled tighter into Evie's embrace. "I dunno… it's just hard to wrap my head around. Malachite, sure, he's away from the public eye and everything. But this Damian guy? He was running the whole company, right out in the open after what he did!" She sighed softly. "I just don't get it."

Evie leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "There's a lot of bad people out there," she whispered. "Not all monsters are Grimm. But that's why we're training to do what we do, right?"

"Yeah... You know I love you, right?"

"And I you, sweetie. More than anything on the face of Remnant."

They glanced up as Pip moved from the cockpit and into the flight deck, sealing the door behind her. "Okay, listen up everyone. They're gonna have to go refuel in Atlas after they drop us off. It's possible that they might get word about our… indiscretion while there and won't be coming back for us for awhile."

"Indiscretion?" Frost asked curiously.

Pip gave her a sheepish grin, touching the tips of her forefingers together. "Welllll… We might have kinda sorta skipped over the fact that we never got permission for this little outing…"

The white-haired huntress blinked her eyes slowly. "So… this is an unauthorized mission?"

"Um, yeah. Pretty much."

She turned to gaze briefly out of the window before turning back with a firm nod of her head. "Not any longer. I'm authorizing it. One moment, please."

She stood up and opened the door to the cockpit again, speaking intently with the pilot.

"Can I just say again, I'm _so_ glad Lustre talked to her before Pip went all primal on her ass?" Evie quipped.

Pip rolled her eyes humorously. "Yeah, yeah, rub it in… But yes, thank you, Lustre."

The silver-haired girl in question inclined her head gracefully. "Of course. Always happy to be the voice of calm reason within the team."

Pip glanced at the others wryly. "Why does it vaguely feel like the rest of us were just insulted?"

"You are imagining things, dear," Lustre smirked.

Frost poked her head back out. "Alright, let's get ready. Almost to the drop-off point."

The four team members nodded and stood, strapping on their gear.

"Why do I feel as if we've been doing this an awful lot lately?" the lanky blonde quipped.

"Probably because we have," Evie laughed. "This will be our third drop in two days. Oh, and our fourth battle."

"Yep," Beryl grinned. "We're badasses."

"Undoubtedly," Lustre added. "Pity we can't get extra credit for any of this."

"Babe," their team leader laughed. "We'll be lucky if we don't all get suspended after this is over with…"

Frost looked at the four girls, somewhat baffled at their easygoing demeanor before dropping into a combat situation, but shook her head and turned back to open the side door. "We are coming in quite low," she yelled over the wind.

"Yeah, that's so that Pip doesn't hurt herself," Beryl yelled back. "She's such a delicate flower and all."

Pip rolled her eyes. Fortunately, they'd had a brief moment on the way to the Bulldog to explain her current situation, so that Frost was aware of her reduced combat capabilities.

And then they were soaring in over a clearing much like the others they'd infiltrated, though this one had a much larger steel door set into a small building, camouflaged from above by netting.

Wordlessly, the five of them dropped out of the transport and hit the ground running.

The double-wide doors were unlocked and revealed a deserted room that had only a single platform with a control unit on it.

"Cargo elevator," Frost confirmed. "Let's get on and get inside. It won't be long before we're discovered."

They assumed defensive positions while the huntress began lowering the platform down. It moved through the darkness at a languid pace, made all the more nerve-wracking by the lack of any other sound aside from the machinery.

"Whelp," Beryl joked. "At least there's no elevator music."

"Thank Oum for small favors," Pip muttered.

The elevator came to rest in another room, this one wide and cavernous, almost like a warehouse. Crates and boxes were scattered about, with only another double-wide door to the far side exiting the chamber.

The five of them headed forward steadily, looking around for threats in the dark recesses and shadows of the room. Beryl paused halfway, her eyes straining as she peered back the way they had come.

"Sweetie?" Evie whispered, stopping by her side.

"I think… I saw something move," the blue-haired girl whispered, hefting _Dahl_ in her hand.

The others had reached the door and stopped, looking back at the other two.

"Coming?" Pip whispered harshly.

"Yeah, I…" Suddenly Beryl rammed her shoulder into Evie, knocking her sideways as a blur of darkness, tinged on the edges by a white nimbus, flashed by where the Cat Faunus had stood. She caught the claws on her shield, managing to deflect the enhanced Beowolf as it sped back off into the darkness.

Pip and Lustre had their guns to their shoulders, searching for targets. "Where'd it go?" the blonde asked worriedly.

"Not sure," Beryl murmured. "Dammit. We can't leave it behind us to hit our backs…"

"We should keep moving," Frost stated levelly. "It won't be long before more guardians are called down on our heads."

"Go on," Beryl replied over her shoulder. "Evie and I got this, we'll catch up with you."

"Beryl, are you sure?"

"Go, Pip!"

With a growl of frustration, Pip slammed the door open and hurled herself through. The handful of unfortunate android guards there were quickly disposed of, thanks to Lustre's staff, her sword, and Frost's rapier. The sounds of their departure soon faded, leaving the couple alone in the dim cavernous room.

"How long do we wait?" Evie whispered.

"Until we give up and follow? I say another minute," Beryl explained. "That Beowolf won't stay hidden for much-"

She cut off as the double doors slammed shut with a loud _boom_.

"Yeah, okay," the small girl muttered. "Suddenly not looking like such a great idea after all."

"What was your first clue?" a light, mocking voice called out from the darkness.

"Who's there?" Evie demanded, _Dao_ held out in readiness as she spun around.

"Really? That's your first question? How cliche." The melodic giggling might have been considered charming were it not coming from seemingly everywhere, echoing off of the rafters and walls.

"Oookaaayyy…" Beryl drawled. "Creepy girl is creepy."

"You think I'm creepy?" the voice sounded again, the pout coming through audibly. "I'm hurt. Just for that, you get to play with my pets now."

"Pets?" Beryl asked, glancing over at Evie.

"Um, yep." The Cat Faunus gestured around them with her scimitar in a wide sweeping pattern. "Pets."

All around them, subtly glowing shadows formed. Many, many figures as they crowded in at the edge of light.

" _That_ is a whole lot of pets," Beryl murmured.

The pair readied their weapons, faces set determinedly.

"Got my back, beautiful?" the blue-haired girl quipped.

"Always, gorgeous," Evie snarked back.

* * *

"I don't like leaving them behind," Pip panted as they raced along the corridor.

"Neither do I," Lustre replied calmly. "But they can handle themselves. And our mission is of import."

"Yeah, but-"

"I understand, dear," the silver-haired girl interrupted gently. "I worry for them too. But we must stop this madman."

"Right." The blonde sighed, clutching her sword tighter in her grip. "Frost, where do those plans say to go next?"

They'd come across a small security station where they quickly overcame several sentient and android guards. The huntress had deftly interfaced with the console there and pulled up the floor plans for the facility. Unfortunately, she was also able to determine that the entire complex was already aware of their presence.

"Straight down this corridor, then the first door on the right. In that room, the door just to the left will lead to another very long hallway, which after a couple of turns will take us to the main control room." Frost glanced over her shoulder, _Myrtenaster_ held firmly in her grip. "No sign of pursuit so far."

"Alright," the blond mumbled to herself. "First door on the… Aha! On the right!"

Barely hesitating, she slammed her shoulder into the door and rolled into the room, both Lustre and Frost on her heels, only to come up short and stare incredulously.

"Oh, are you serious right now?" Pip exclaimed.

Standing calmly in the middle of the large open room, the size of a basketball court, was Leech, regarding the trio with barely restrained eagerness in his stance.

"Just… Argh!" the blonde screamed in frustration, stomping around in a circle. "Fucking… Fuck! Fuckity fuck fuck! Fuck!"

"That," Lustre murmured, "was an inordinate amount of 'fucks'."

"I take it the two of you have already faced Leech?" Frost asked calmly, her ice-blue eyes never leaving the gangly man.

"Yes, we have," Lustre replied over the sound of continued cursing from her leader. "It did not end well, and that was with the four of us."

"I see." Frost inclined her head towards Leech, who returned it in kind. "Very well. You two proceed. I will deal with him."

Pip stopped in her ranting to regard the huntress skeptically. "Are you sure? He's, like, freaky-fast, and with that aura draining of his…"

"I am aware of his capabilities," the white-haired woman replied with a small smirk. "In my duties as a bodyguard, I made sure to assemble profiles on all of Malachite's henchmen."

"Oh. Well, then." Pip and Lustre shared a helpless glance.

"Just go," Frost repeated. "Take care of things and I shall follow once I am done."

"Alright. Good luck, Frost," Pip murmured. "Try not to die, okay?"

Frost shot her a tight grin as she held her rapier up in a guard position. "I shall do my best not to."

With that, the other pair raced through the door and down the hallway towards where they hoped to find Malachite.

Frost turned back towards Leech. "Shall we?" she invited courteously.

* * *

They'd gotten turned around a few times, and ran into more than their fair share of android guards, but soon enough Pip and Lustre entered into a large, circular chamber that was a good twelve feet high. Across the walls were several large monitors, all showing scenes from around Remnant of Grimm attacking villages and towns, of hunters fighting and dying to defend the people. Curiously most of the video feeds seemed to be from the perspective of the Grimm themselves.

To the side of the room was a long glass window that showed an attached room. It seemed to contain controls and communications and the like, with a small door adjacent to the window. And then, set into the back of the main room, was a single heavy metal door that seemed fairly familiar to the pair.

"That look like the door to his study, back in Vacuo?" Pip murmured.

"It does indeed," Lustre replied just as quietly. "Do we enter, or wait here?"

At that, the door opened on noiseless hinges to reveal the broad-shouldered, bearded man they'd come to find. His black three-piece suit was immaculate, and he tapped his cane at his feet as he came to a halt just outside of the door.

"Whelp, that answers that," the blonde breathed, trying not to show her nervousness.

"Back so soon?" Malachite asked, his pale green eyes glittering dangerously. "I would think you'd still be running, child."

"Well, yeah, I've always been a slow learner," Pip snarked. "Glutton for punishment and all that."

"I see. And you brought your friend with you, how marvelous." The suited man leered at Lustre. "I look forward to seeing what the procedure will do with you."

"I shall pass," Lustre replied grimly. "We are here to stop you."

"Stop me?" Malachite laughed heartedly. "Really? Oh, how very cute. Don't you know who I am?"

Pip snorted, gripping _Odachi Dahlia_ tighter. "Just another asshole with delusions of grandeur."

"And a psychotic one, at that," Lustre added.

"Psychotic?" Malachite grinned widely, showing entirely too many teeth. "That is a three syllable word for any thought too big for little minds. What I am… is a visionary. I will bend this entire world to my knees. Starting right here, right now, this will become my legacy. My dynasty!"

"Yep," Pip intoned. "Crazy as fuck-all."

Chuckling, the man leaned his cane against the wall behind him. "I don't expect you to understand." He removed his jacket, carefully folded it and set it on the floor. "Small minds never do." He began to roll his sleeves up, one at a time, all the while looking at the pair of girls with a manic glint to his eyes. "You lack vision. You lack clarity."

He picked up his cane once more and faced them. "I must confess, it's been awhile since I've gotten my hands dirty, but I'm feeling positively effervescent today, my plans have gone so well. And so, you are in for a treat." He flicked the cane to the side, and it quickly transformed into a rather large, daunting obsidian greatsword larger than Pip's. "Before you die, of course."

"Well, Grimmshit," Pip breathed.

Lustre gave a wry nod. "Indeed."

* * *

Beryl and Evie had started out back to back, fending off the unending waves of speed-enhanced Beowolves, but eventually the shorter girl convinced her girlfriend to go on the offensive.

"Use your mobility," she grunted, flinging another Grimm away with her shield. "It's the only way we're gonna whittle their numbers down."

As an added bonus, by using her semblance to flicker around the room, Evie had managed to catch a glimpse of a petite figure, perhaps even shorter than Beryl and wearing dark colors. A flash of purple hair tied back in a ponytail was all she could catch as she tried to get close to the elusive girl before she'd have to dodge another attack from one or more of the Beowolves.

"Oh come now," the lilting voice mocked from the darkness. "Surely you can do better than that, little lost huntresses?"

Evie blinked to Beryl's side momentarily, breathing heavily. "She's really starting to piss me off," the Faunus growled quietly.

"Don't let her get to you," Beryl advised, switching _Dahl_ over to a carbine to snap a few quick shots off before reverting to a sword again. She thrust into the flank of a charging Grimm just as Evie slashed out and eviscerated another. "Concentrate on the Grimm, not her." Several bodies of the creatures were piled around them, disintegrating rapidly. "Also, I think these Beowolves work kinda like Lustre's semblance, quick bursts of speed, so try and catch them in between charges."

"Giving up already little kitty cat?" the voice giggled.

Evie let out an angry shout as she blasted a wave of concussive force out, knocking a few of the Beowolves sprawling. "I think she's controlling them somehow," she mentioned.

"Yay, give the wannabe a prize!"

"I'll give you a prize, you annoying little bitch," Evie growled.

"Evie…" Beryl warned, but the Cat Faunus was already off, blinking across the room in a blur of motion. She leapt from the back of a Grimm after plunging her scimitar into its skull, dropping into a roll and coming up swinging, slicing through the legs of another. Before she could get pinned in place, the Faunus girl sent herself up and into the rafters to try for another glimpse of her irritating tormenter.

She took a second to make sure Beryl was still holding her own, though just barely from what she could tell. The blue-haired girl was swinging around wildly, fending off attacks from all quarters with both her shield and sword. And then another Beowolf came soaring up at Evie, claws extended and mouth opened in a snarl.

She leapt off of the rafter, springing straight at the Grimm to neatly bisect it before spinning around feet-first. A quick teleport took her onto the back of another Beowolf, slicing its head off.

Evie landed in a roll, coming back to her feet and barely avoiding the blur of one of the beasts as it sped by. She felt the breeze of the claws as they passed overhead.

"Evie, how're you doing, love?"

"Getting tired," she admitted, starting to sprint back to her girlfriend. "Lemme guard your back and rest for a-"

She was cut off as something grabbed hold of her foot, sending her sprawling face-down on the hard concrete floor. Flipping around, she angrily regarded what looked to be a whip that had encircled her ankle, Holding the other end was the smirking girl, her amethyst eyes twinkling viciously.

"Why you little-"

Once again her words were bit off, but this time by the yellow jolt of electricity that arced down the length of the whip, shocking her almost senseless. Still, she managed to kick the end of the whip off of her and stumble back to her feet.

Just as she regained her footing, another dark blur raced by, but this time she was in no shape to avoid it.

Evie was spun about, a spray of blood trailing from the gash now down the side of her face as a scream was torn from her throat. She landed hard on her side, unmoving.

The tableau froze as if the entire room had paused to take its breath, but then the silence was shattered by a single anguished scream.

"EVIE!"

* * *

Frost had to give Leech credit. He was quite the nimble opponent.

She'd sparred with a number of hunters who were primarily hand-to-hand focused, but none had come close to the mastery that this man had. His armguards easily blocked even the strongest of her hits, also managing to absorb the ice shards she'd throw his way.

The huntress flung her glyphs about with abandon, some to entangle him, some to bounce him around. He'd managed to avoid most of them, though she did toss up a pair that sent him into the air and then her spinning through the room to slice into his flank.

Unfortunately, he managed to land a painful kick into her side at the same time, one which her aura just barely blocked but still left her ribs sore.

She stood apart from him, clutching her side and panting lightly as he paced on the other side of the room.

"Interesting arm guards of yours," she mentioned, stalling for time to build her aura back up.

"Indeed, _Aegis_ is the culmination of my life's work," the gaunt man replied. "You aren't spent already, are you?"

"Of course not. Merely catching my breath."

"Well, we can't have that now, can we?"

With that he spun back onto the offensive, his limbs a whirl as tried to pin her down. Frost ducked and slid to the side, whipping _Myrtenaster_ out to keep the dextrous man at bay, but her strike was easily caught by one of his armguards. The other hand came close enough to brush the sleeve of her jacket.

"I must say," he continued while backing her up further with vicious kicks and palm strikes that she just barely managed to stay ahead of. "I'm pleased to finally have a worthy single opponent. Of course, you will still lose."

"Don't count me out just yet," she growled, flinging another ice shard his way which he contemptuously batted aside.

"Oh, I've killed far more skilled hunters than yourself, my dear Frost." He spun in place, one hand batting aside her rapier while he landed a solid kick against her sternum, sending her flying back.

As she landed, he charged forward to press his advantage. Frost quickly threw a black glyph down right in his path to immobilize him, but he dismissed it with a simple swipe of an armguard.

The shock of seeing one of her glyphs actually be broken caused her to hesitate, which allowed him to spin in close once more, this time kicking her rapier out of her grasp.

 _Myrtenaster_ skidded across the floor as he loomed over her prone form with an arm outstretched.

"And now," he grinned, the skin on his skeletal face pulling back hideously, "it's time to sleep, young one. Forever."

* * *

Only a few seconds into their fight, Pip and Lustre came to the realization that they were far outclassed.

They had been able to land a number of hits against the burly man, but each one seemed to be effortlessly absorbed by him, shrugged off as no more than irritants. And then, as if he were building up that kinetic energy, he would pause in his own attacks to slam his giant sword into the ground, causing a shockwave that would send the two girls sprawling backwards.

The first time that happened, Lustre was saved from certain decapitation only by her semblance, which allowed her to dart out of the way at literally the last second. After that they learned to quickly regain their equilibrium before he would be upon them again, swinging that massive sword with an agility that belied its size.

Pip had, unfortunately, taken the brunt of his attacks as she was the slower target. Lustre would dash in with her staff spinning to deflect what she could, but even so, she was feeling battered and bruised, her aura certainly approaching the red. The blonde gamely kept up her attacks, parrying what she could of the onslaught, but she was cognizant that this was a losing battle unless something changed.

"This isn't working!" the blonde team leader called out to her teammate across the room.

"I am open to suggestions!" Lustre replied heatedly before racing in once more to land another series of strikes against their imperturbable opponent.

_None of this is fazing him in the slightest! If only… If only I could access my semblance, maybe I could damage him with a strike from my sword when it's heated!_

It was no use, however. She'd taken her aura blocker earlier that morning, but still, it was keeping her from her semblance. She was too tired and worn down from the lack of sleep and constant battling to even muster up the little heat she was able to with Damian Schnee.

As she wracked her brain for a solution, she desperately ran in towards Malachite once more, only to be met by an unexpected slam of the man's sword. That close, she bore the brunt of it, and while _Odachi Dahlia_ was sent careening towards the other side of the room, she sailed through the window in a flurry of shattered glass to slam into a console in the attached office.

As the tinkling of falling glass subsided, Lustre circled Malachite warily, who let out a dark, soft chuckle as she did so, turning to keep her within his view. "You have no hope at all of defeating me, my dear child. I am a God."

"No," she retorted levelly. "Merely a man. And I shall prove it."

She moved in a blur, trying to knock his feet out from under him, but he was evidently expecting the attack and slammed his sword down once more. Lustre barely registered the shock of the unexpected blast, belatedly realizing that even though he had paced out the ground strikes that didn't mean that he needed to do so.

The silver-haired girl flew backwards to slam into the concrete wall next to the entrance, stunned.

Malachite chuckled wickedly as she slid to the ground, barely clinging to consciousness. "And now, dear child, I have such exquisite plans for you and my Subject Two Dash Two…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, I leave you with not one, not two, but three cliffhangers! Maniacal laugh, maniacal laugh… And all the more evil for only updating once a week or so now. I am sorry about that last bit, though. Just having too much fun with A Thorny Tangled Triangle… I'll see if I can't work on the next chapter over the weekend to keep you from too much suspense. (Who lives? Who dies? How will our heroines get out of this? Did anyone notice the badass weapon I gave Whisper?) Combat will wrap up the next chapter, after that a pair of aftermath-style chapters to tie things up to end Volume 2. And then, following a brief hiatus, we'll take the plunge into Volume 3! (Which, by the way, will be alluded to in Chapter 27.)


	25. Burn

**Volume 2  
**

Malachite's Atlas Base  
Monday Night

Time seemed frozen.

Beryl stared numbly at Evie lying motionless on the concrete floor of the warehouse-like cavernous room, the blood pooling under her from the wound she'd taken to her face from one of the enhanced Beowolves they'd been fighting. She couldn't see how bad the damage was as her girlfriend was lying face down with her raven hair matting in the sticky red liquid, but for it to be bleeding this badly and so very quickly, her aura must not be up to the task of staunching the flow.

Rapid scenes flashed through her head of their time together, both in recreation and in combat, how the fierce Cat Faunus had so captured her heart a year ago, finally admitting to each other their love just a short while ago.

So few days she'd had with her…

_No. I refuse to let it end like this. I swore to protect her, and I'll be damned if I fail her now._

She could feel the Beowolves close in as if they eagerly scented the blood, but she ignored them. With a few rapid paces she placed herself astride Evie's body protectively, crouching with her shield up, and activated her semblance.

_I will not let you bastards have her._

"Aww, did the little kitty cat get scratched?" the teasing voice lilted from the darkness.

Beryl ignored the voice, instead straining her meager senses to anticipate where the next attack might come from.

"No answer?" the voice said from seemingly another direction, the pout evident in her tone. "Well, then, I suppose I'll just let my pets have their fun…"

Three Beowolves sped in, two from in front and one behind. Beryl reversed the grip on her sword, driving _Shashka_ behind her with enough force to impale the Grimm at her back, while she simply let the pair in front rebound off of her. Another one flew in from the right, and she twirled her weapon into a carbine, intercepting that one with a few shots to the middle. Afterward, she calmly delivered two rapid headshots to the stunned Beowolves that had bounced off of her shield.

"Now, now," the voice giggled. "No fair protecting my pet's next meal, you know…"

Beryl switched her weapon back into a blade just in time, as a whip snapped around her right foot, giving it a mighty tug to throw her off of her feet. Fortunately, with her semblance activated, she didn't budge. Remembering the attack on Evie, she whipped her sword down and severed the whip before her tormentor could send an electrical surge at her.

"Damn you!" the voice screeched, suddenly enraged. "Do you have any idea how long I worked on _Violet Scourge_?"

"Should have worked longer on the name for it," the blue-haired girl quipped, uneasily noting that the pool of blood had reached both of her feet. _I have to end this soon…_ "This is getting kinda boring, could you pick things up a bit? I got places to be."

"You insignificant little brat!" the voice snarled from her right. Just on the edge of her vision, she could catch a glimpse of a short girl with a purple ponytail as she paced by. "Fine, enough playing around, it's time for you and your little Faunus bitch to die!"

Beryl crouched low, watching the Beowolves pace ever closer, still far too many for her to deal with at once.

 _You will not have her_ , she thought angrily. _I will protect her to my dying breath… You… will… not… have… her!_

A low growl began to build up inside of her small chest, accompanied by almost a pressure of some sort as the Beowolves began to dart in.

"Stay away from her!" Beryl screamed furiously.

Her eyes flashed a brilliant cerulean to match the glow of her semblance which suddenly and violently exploded outwards. Boxes and pallets were sent flying out to smash into splinters against the walls. The small girl, suddenly visible in the bright blue light, was herself flung helplessly up to hit the far wall, smacking her head sharply before slumping the ten feet down to the ground, unconscious.

The Beowolves, however, instantly disintegrated upon contact with the blast.

Panting heavily, and uncertain as to what just occurred, Beryl slumped down to one knee, her head hanging low.

_Worry about what the Dust just happened later, right now I have to save Evie…_

Her eyes had returned to their normal shade of bronze, though she hadn't any way of knowing that yet. She let _Shashka_ and _Dahl_ clang to the floor as she leaned worriedly over Evie, ever so carefully turning her over to ascertain the extent of her wounds.

What she saw made her suck in a startled breath.

There were three long furrows down the side of her girlfriend's face, the topmost one slicing from her Faunus ear, tearing a gash through it, and into her scalp. The bottom most one went down her cheek, ripping it in two and exposing her teeth before it vanished past her chin.

The middle gash, however, went right down from her forehead and past the bloody, gaping hole where her left eye once was.

"Oh, Evie," Beryl sobbed, her hand hovering over her ruined face. She was still bleeding out from all three wounds, but the worst was from the eye socket, running in rivulets down her face as her aura struggled to keep her precious fluid inside her body.

"I'm not letting you die, dammit," the blue-haired girl whispered with tears in her eyes. She moved both of her hands over to rest on her face, one on either side. Her right hand quickly became slick with blood, but she kept her grip firm.

She closed her eyes and pushed her aura into Evie.

She'd never tried anything on this scale before, neither of them had. But this had to work, there was no other possible outcome than for this to work.

_Please, Oum, please let this work..._

And then she opened her eyes to see the brilliant cerulean and white glow emanating from her hands and infusing her girlfriend with her aura. Wanting to give her as much as she could and as quickly as possible, she leaned over further and pressed her lips to the half-ruined ones of the girl under her, immediately feeling the aura flow through her lips as well while she pushed it into her girlfriend. The blood streaming from Evie's face began to slow, but the wounds were still gaping, the bloody socket where her eye used to be still welling with the dark red liquid.

_More… I have to give her more, can't stop..._

The words from the lecture regarding aura transfer echoed in her mind.

' _But care must be taken not to transfer too much as the donor might be damaged in the process.'_

_I don't care. I can't live my life without her, and I gladly give my life for her..._

She could feel the drain on her aura, felt herself get weaker by the second, but still persisted in the link. She kept pouring her aura into the single most important person in her life until she could feel the blackness closing in while the flesh under her palms knit together.

And still Beryl pressed on.

Her last few conscious thoughts as she slumped to the side, involuntarily breaking contact with Evie's lips and her face, were to beg for forgiveness from the girl she couldn't live without.

"Worth… it…" she breathed as her eyes slid closed.

Beryl lay unnaturally still next to the motionless Cat Faunus, their hands entwined.

* * *

Frost glared up at Leech from her prone position as he closed in with a hand extended. "You would do well not to underestimate me," she stated quietly.

The lanky main quirked an eyebrow, but his face quickly slipped into a look of surprise as she cast a white glyph under his feet to send him sprawling backwards from her.

He let out a low chuckle as he regained his footing. "Perhaps you are more of a challenge that I expected…"

She got to her feet as well, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. "You have no idea."

With a quick flick of her wrist, another smaller white glyph sprang into existence under her rapier across the room, flinging it at her. She caught it expertly, rapidly twirling it before thrusting it into the ground. Spikes of ice sprang forth, emanating from her and towards her opponent.

He nimbly leapt over the advancing ice onslaught, but she was already in motion, flying across the room and slicing unexpectedly into his torso. He spun about in midair to kick out at her, but by that point, she was already gone and crouched back where he'd originated from.

Frost spun around, flinging her hand out in a wide sweep of her arm. All round the combatants in a wide circle, from where she stood to where Leech had now landed, were a row of vertical white glyphs, lighting up the room with their glow. She pushed as much of her aura as she dared into her semblance, but hoped that he didn't pay too close attention to the glyphs themselves.

The one directly behind him was slightly different from the others.

"Just what do you have in store for me, little huntress?" Leech chuckled as he slowly walked forward.

Frost gave him a tight little smirk, one she'd learned from her Aunt Weiss. "This."

The gaunt man was struck from behind, catching him completely off-guard. He whirled about but was stunned to see a glowing white replica of himself standing there in an identical combat pose.

"How…?" he gasped, for the first time sounding shaken.

Frost allowed a bit of a snicker to escape as she held herself up on one knee, using _Myrtenaster_ as a crutch while she maintained the glyphs, including the summoning one across the room.

"I have to admit," she stated levelly. "You are certainly the toughest opponent I've faced so far. I felt it only appropriate to use you for my very special glyph. You should feel honored."

Before Leech could reply, he was forced to defend himself from a flurry of attacks from his doppelganger. Frost watched intently as the two battled, knowing that the outcome was a foregone conclusion as the copy would not be nearly as powerful as the original with what little time she'd used to prepare for this. Still, her summoned servant would serve its purpose well enough by weakening her opponent.

After a few minutes of intense combat, the glowing copy was dispelled by a whirling kick to its chest. Leech was visibly panting by this point and slowly turned to face her once more.

"Impressive," he grudgingly admitted. "And more than a little entertaining. But, if that is the best you have…?"

She smirked, having taken the time to regain her aura, especially now that she no longer needed to focus on the summoning. "Oh, no. That was just the warmup."

Without warning she launched herself backwards, springing forward once more off of the glyph there to quickly strike out at him. She flashed back and forth between the encircling glyphs, hitting him from so many directions he was unable to effectively block them or counter her movements.

It was not long before Leech's aura bottomed out in a fragmented flare, and he finally fell unconscious from his wounds.

Frost collapsed to her side, panting heavily from the exertion of her flurry of attacks as she dismissed her remaining glyphs. She groaned as she levered herself up, unwilling to allow herself the luxury of recovery while the other trainees still needed her help.

She wearily pushed herself the rest of the way to her feet, clutching _Myrtenaster_ determinedly in her hand as she stumbled down the corridor in the direction Pip and Lustre had taken.

Unnoticed behind her, Leech stirred feebly.

* * *

Pip groaned as she rolled onto her side, trying to extract herself from the ruins of the console she'd crashed into when she was flung through the window. Every fiber of her body hurt, aching as if she'd been stomped flat by a Goliath and then used as a chew toy by an Ursa to boot.

Dimly she could hear Malachite's mocking voice as he regaled Lustre, with some detail, of the ordeal that was now ahead of her now that she would be another of his test subjects.

_She must be down as well… Dammit, no, I can't let him have her, I can't… She can't go through what I did, I won't let that happen!_

Anger started to course through her, threatening to break past the numbness, but she just couldn't manage to do it. The aura blockers held fast, aided by her exhaustion and pain. Tears fell down her cheeks as she internally berated herself for being too weak to protect Lustre. Protect her family.

She crouched on all fours, her hot tears splashing on the floor below her as her head swiveled around to search for something, anything to help her save her team. And then, as if to an answered prayer from Oum himself, her eyes finally come to rest upon a wall-mounted medical kit that had fallen open from when she'd been thrown into the room. The contents spilled across the floor, bandages and pill bottles and ointments…

And a single orange-colored syringe.

Pip's eyes blinked as a plan began to form in her head. It was reckless, certainly, and likely to be as deadly to herself as it would be to her enemy.

_But it would save Lustre from him._

Staggering to her feet as her hand closed around the hypodermic, the blonde warrior shouldered her way through the door and back into the main room once more.

Malachite paused in his megalomaniacal ranting to glance at her in surprise. "Well, back for more, I see? Some children just don't know when to stay down…"

She ignored him, focusing on Lustre who herself was struggling to regain her footing.

"Lustre," the blonde grunted, swaying on her feet. "Run."

"Pip?" her friend inquired, her words slurred and eyes somewhat unfocused. "What are you…?"

She pulled the cap off of the syringe, held it aloft, and then plunged it into her chest, injecting herself with the shot of pure adrenaline.

"Run!" she screamed. Her head was thrown back as the pain coursed through her veins. The blood began pumping through her body as the adrenaline surged through her. She knew, without looking, that her veins would now be glowing red, pulsing beneath her skin as the unholy results of Malachite and Viridian's experimentation took hold of her once again.

She opened her eyes back up, leveling her gaze upon the slightly concerned-looking Malachite. Unbeknownst to Pip, her light coral eyes now burned a bright crimson.

The blonde started walking forward, each step hissing as her body began dumping out the heat that emanated. The syringe lay discarded on the ground behind her as bits and pieces of her clothing began to drop off in small charred pieces.

"Lustre, run now," she growled. "Please, just run."

Her silver-haired teammate finally managed to lurch to her feet and, sending one final terrified glance over her shoulder, took off in a flash of her semblance.

"Well, well, well… I was wondering if the process simply failed to take hold," Malachite commented, his eyes glittering. "I suppose you were merely repressing it, somehow?"

"No more talking," Pip snarled, her lips pulled back to expose her blood-stained teeth. The blonde shrugged her shoulders, letting the armor drop off of her as the straps disintegrated. She could feel the power coursing through her, the raging molten fire inside her that begged for release.

 _Gods_ , it felt incredible.

She rushed forward with a wordless roar of fury, barefoot now that her boots had burned away with the rest of her clothing. Malachite's eyes widened at the sudden attack, but his sword swung in effortlessly to intercept her.

Only for it to be caught in one of Pip's hands.

He stared at his sword as he strained to slice through her grip, but he was unable to make any progress. Pip's arm trembled as it held tight, and a bright spot appeared through her bloody fingers, making the obsidian sword glow brightly as it warped.

Her other hand shot forward to clamp over his forehead.

"I want you..." she growled, her voice dripping with the promise of death, "...to burn."

Malachite's eyes extended out from his head as his mouth opened wide in a silent rictus of agony. He dropped his partially-melted sword to grab at her arm with both hands, but was unable to move it.

"Burn!" Pip yelled, the air about her shimmering with heat.

The spot under hand had at first simply begun to smoke, but now the flesh was bubbling. Malachite would have screamed if he could, but the air in his lungs had superheated. The blood began to boil in his veins, and he dimly wondered why he wasn't dead yet.

"BURN!" she screamed as he sank to his knees, making a wet sound as his skin burst like overripe fruit. The spray of hot blood would have soaked her, if it hadn't evaporated an inch from her body. Ruined flesh ran down Malachite's torso like molten wax as he melted horrifically, organs bursting to add to the mess spilling across the linoleum floor.

Still she focused her rage into her hand. Malachite's bones began to crack and shatter from the heat, collapsing into a pile at her feet. Pip sank to her knees, the pooled blood hissing from contact with her overheated body, as she continued to press her hands down.

She was panting by this point, every exhale like a blast from a furnace. The remains of Malachite quickly turned to dust, flaking and drifting about her in the hot currents of air, the blood and gore evaporated from the ground.

The floor beneath her glowing hands began to crack and shatter, and her body trembled mightily as a flash of hot fear coursed through her.

She could not stop it. She couldn't turn it off, just like she'd been warned.

Pip closed her eyelids over her dry, searing orbs and sat back on her haunches. Her fists were clenched in her lap as she waited for the inevitable self-combustion. Eventually her head slipped back, hair whipping about her face wildly as she emitted a hoarse scream of loss, of pain and triumph, of anger and relief.

Her team was safe, safe from that monster. Rufus was avenged.

She supposed, in the end, she could die happy with that knowledge.

But then there was a blast of cool air against the right side of her body, like a refreshing splash of ice-cold water on a scorching summer's day. Startled, she opened her blazing crimson eyes to see a bloody and battered Frost Schnee, her face reddened and sweaty from her proximity to the overheated girl, though _Myrtenaster_ in her hand was emitting tendrils of visible icy condensation in the air. In her other hand was another syringe, this one filled with the familiar blue liquid that was her inhibitor.

Frost plunged it into her arm, and it began to work immediately, cooling her off and draining away the excess heat. Her shoulders slumped as she involuntarily fell sideways and into her new comrade's open arms.

Then Lustre was there as well, supporting her from behind, and gently stroking her now-damp and matted blonde hair away from her face.

"How…?" she finally croaked through parched and cracked lips.

Lustre smiled softly. "I came prepared," she simply said.

Pip sighed, her breath rattling through her aching chest. "Of course you did," she whispered. "The others?"

Lustre shared a worried glance with Frost. "Alive. Do not worry for them, or for yourself. We have you." She smiled softly down at her teammate. "It is over."

"Okay," Pip murmured, her weary eyes sliding shut once more. "Let's call it a day, huh, babe?"

"Anything you say, fearless leader," Lustre chuckled as the blonde in her arms let an exhausted sleep overcome her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo… just one last cliffhanger, sorta? Don't worry, Evie and Beryl (who just went super-saiyan on us) will be resolved next chapter. Think Malachite's end was delightfully visceral enough for everyone? I hope to have the next chapter, the first of the ones to wrap up Volume 2, done by the end of the week.


	26. Aftermath

**Volume 2  
**

Malachite's Atlas Base  
Early Tuesday Morning

Evie paced irritably around the circumference of the laboratory, her arms clenched tightly around her middle. Two other individuals, those who were conscious in the room with her, followed her with their eyes.

The first, Huntress Frost Schnee, kept her ice-blue orbs trained on the other individual as well, the man directly responsible for the condition of Team PERL's leader.

"Let's run through this again," the Cat Faunus began, her voice low and deadly. She resisted the urge to finger the scars running down her face, even though their new presence weighed heavily upon her mind. Though not as much as her concern for her blue-haired girlfriend, still unconscious but slumbering more or less peacefully on top of several blankets and pillows in the corner of the room.

Her sapphire eyes flickered over to the prone form of Beryl, but she pushed aside her worry that whatever the diminutive girl had done caused herself permanent damage. _Think about it later. More pressing issues right now._

"You claim there's no way to reverse the process," Evie continued, not pausing in her slow, methodical pace. "And yet you're this apparent 'expert' in dust infusion. How exactly are we supposed to believe that?"

"Because I am, indeed, the leading authority in dust infusion," Dr. Viridian replied nervously. "Believe me, I would if I could… I do very much enjoy this existence and have no wish to depart it anytime soon…"

Evie rounded on him furiously, her tail bristling behind her. "Then tell me how to help her!" she snarled. "How can we make Pip better?"

Viridian sighed, trying to straighten out his rumpled lab coat. "As I was trying to say before… The only way to fix her is to complete the process."

The Cat Faunus stared at him blankly, her hands clenched at her side to resist the urge to draw her scimitar. _We need him, we need him and I cannot kill him, that would be wrong…_

"Explain," Frost demanded shortly.

Evie's Faunus ears flickered over towards the white-haired huntress, the left one still feeling a bit strange now that it was missing a small chunk on the side. It didn't hurt at all, which was odd considering how sensitive her appendages were, but it made her feel off-kilter nonetheless.

The scientist sighed once more and folded his arms, looking down at the floor. "We did not complete the full process with Subj- er, that is, Pip. Just the initial stage, the most dangerous one with the greatest likelihood of failure. After the initial settling-in period is complete, forty-eight hours in my estimation, then we would complete the process and allow the subject fuller control over their abilities. We were unable to do so before she was, er, liberated prior to relocation to our other facility. The final step would have been to implant the control unit."

"Right." Evie let out a relieved breath. _So she doesn't have the control unit in her, just as we all hoped… But, doing more of this to her? I'll be Dust-damned if I let her go through it again._

"There has to be another way-" she began but cut herself off as she picked up on movement outside the lab.

Lustre walked through, supporting a tired-looking Pip who was now clad in a hospital gown with a lab coat over her lanky frame.

"I'll do it," the blonde rasped out, her throat still raw from her earlier ordeal.

"Pip, no, sweetie…" Evie's eyes blurred with tears as she stepped forward, an imploring hand outstretched.

Pip took hold of her hand and grasped it weakly, though her smile was as bright and reassuring as always. "I can't keep living like this, babe."

"But… it's still dangerous!" Evie whirled on the scientist. "Isn't it?"

Viridian gave a small nod, seemingly shrinking in the presence of his former experimentation subject. "Slightly, yes, but much less than the initial procedure. Far lower probability of expiration."

"Evie," the blonde murmured, squeezing her hand to bring her attention back to her. "I want to be able to think straight again. I want… I _need_ to be myself. It's… getting harder to want to take the shots anymore, waking up with my head clear but knowing it's all gonna go away soon…" Pip took a deep breath and exhaled, straightening her shoulders as she did so. "I'd rather take this chance to live like a person again."

"Pip…"

"Please, babe?"

Evie closed her eyes. "Lustre?" she whispered.

"I am sorry, Evie, but I must side with Pip on this. Her reasoning is sound, and I believe we can trust the doctor here to do as he has promised."

"Yeah, about that…" Her eyes shot open again to regard Viridian intently. "You need to earn my trust here. What was the plan to control the Grimm?"

"Oh, yes, certainly," the scientist nodded rapidly. "Er, we have a control unit implanted in each creature, a simple series of commands would cause each subject to immediately expire… at least they should if they are still in range of the signal…"

"So do it. Right now," Frost demanded, standing upright and clasping _Myrtenaster_ at her side.

"Very well, yes…" He indicated the console unit there in the lab. "May I?"

Frost escorted him over, watching his actions closely to make sure he didn't try anything else.

"Are you sure about this, sweetie?" Evie whispered.

Pip nodded. "Very. Beryl woken up yet?"

She shook her head morosely, glancing over at her prone girlfriend again. "I can only imagine how much aura she must have given me… there was so much blood on the floor of that room…"

Lustre sighed and stepped over, now that Pip was supporting herself on the edge of a counter, to give Evie a gentle hug. "Do not worry for her," the silver-haired girl murmured. "You know how strong she is."

"Lustre… I should be missing an eye. She regrew my eye!" Evie trembled slightly at the thought. "How is that even possible?"

"I believe because it was not just her healing you, but the two of you, together. Your combined auras made it possible."

Frost and Viridian had stepped back over by this point. "It's done," the huntress reported. "According to the readouts on the console, almost every single one of the enhanced Grimm should be dead."

"Okay, then," Pip said resolutely. "Lustre, see if you can't get the CCT here and elsewhere released so we can talk to people again. Frost… would you mind staying with me?"

"Of course," Frost replied solemnly. "I shall make sure he keeps his word."

As they made to leave, the blonde shot the Cat Faunus a warm look. "I'll be fine, babe. You look after Beryl, okay?"

Evie just nodded, watching the three of them head across the hallway towards an operating room.

Giving her another reassuring squeeze, Lustre stepped over to the console, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

But now that the situation with Pip was out of her hands, and the Grimm terrorizing the kingdoms now under control, the only thing she cared about was Beryl.

She quickly strode over towards her girlfriend where she was curled up, sitting down by her head and stroking her blue hair.

"I love you so much, you bloody fool," she murmured. "But you shouldn't have hurt yourself like this on my account."

Her hand drifted towards Beryl's shoulder and down to her bare arm, as they'd removed her armor to make her more comfortable. The swirl of colors was still there as she concentrated her aura, dimmer than before but undeniably still a combination of white and cerulean blue.

"Okay, then," she said determinedly. "Time for you to wake up."

Evie crouched over, tilting Beryl's head to the side so that she might place a tender kiss against her lips. Her own aura was still weak, but in the time since she'd woken up it had begun to replenish itself.

She just hoped it was enough to help.

Her aura flowed past her lips like a breath of warm air and into her girlfriend, filling her up as best she could. While she prayed to Oum that it would help somewhat, she was wholly unprepared for Beryl's reaction.

The blue-haired girl's eyes flew open, and she let out a gasp against Evie's lips before eagerly returning the kiss.

Evie could taste the salt of her happy tears as her tongue danced alongside Beryl's, but she knew her girlfriend was weeping just as much.

Finally, they broke apart, lightly panting but the both of them grinning widely.

"Hey, you," Evie murmured.

Beryl's bronze eyes were wide and almost uncomprehending as they danced around Evie's face, and her small hand crept up to trace the dual scars, one across her cheek and the other above and below her eye.

"You're okay…" she whispered.

Evie nodded. "Yeah, I am. Thanks to you."

Her brow furrowed though as she glanced up at her Faunus ears. "Oh…"

"No, it's okay, really. Doesn't hurt at all. And I don't mind the scars either… I just…" She sighed. "You shouldn't have done that. You could have died."

Beryl shrugged slightly from her prone position and gave her a sheepish grin. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Evie blinked, more tears filling her eyes. "Gods, I love you so much."

"And I love you, kitty."

Their lips mashed together again, this time with a longing need to express the depths of their feelings for each other that words alone could not possibly fulfill.

At least, until they were interrupted by a gentle clearing of a throat.

"I am sorry to disturb you both," Lustre's musical voice sounded from behind, filled with humor. "But the CCT signal has been restored. You should contact Professor Ozpin."

Evie sighed against Beryl's lips. "Duty calls."

"I'm not going anywhere," the blue-haired girl grinned. "Go on."

The Cat Faunus stood and pulled her scroll out, letting Lustre help her partner to her feet as she selected Ozpin's icon and then held it up to her face. Dimly she overheard Beryl being filled in on Pip's current status.

The surprised grey-haired visage of their headmaster filled the screen. "Miss Black."

"Professor," she replied nervously.

He blinked his eyes at her, his normally imperturbable mask seeming to slip slightly. "Well. The number of occasions I've actually been at a loss for words I could count on one hand." He gave her a small smile. "Congratulations on making the list."

Evie couldn't help herself and let out a small giggle. "Er, well, yes… I suppose you'd like to know what we've been up to?"

"That would be an excellent start, yes."

Fifteen minutes later and Ozpin was reclining back in his chair, sipping from his ever-present mug. It was quite likely, given the activities of the past few days, that at this point it contained at least some amount of alcohol.

"That is quite the tale, Miss Black," he murmured thoughtfully. His gaze flickered up to her scarred ear. "And the rest of your team is alright?"

"Yes, sir. Though… hopefully, we will be hearing about Pip soon."

"I see." Ozpin set his mug down and peered at her thoughtfully through his spectacles. "I can confirm that we have received reports, now that the CCT has been restored, of these enhanced Grimm suddenly dying. Allow me a few minutes to gather reports, now that I can do so, and I shall contact you soon. For now, though…" He offered her a small smile. "You and your team have my gratitude."

Evie nodded as he reached over to close the connection, and then slipped her scroll back into her pocket, blowing out a relieved breath.

"So, he didn't seem too pissed off, huh?"

She turned to her girlfriend with a smile. "So far, anyways. How are you feeling, sweetie?"

Beryl shrugged as she hopped up onto the top of the counter she was leaning on, swinging her feet as she took another sip from the aura restoration drink in her hand. "Better, I s'pose. Lustre's keeping me from going to see Pip."

Evie glanced over at the doorway where their silver-haired partner stood resolutely with her arms crossed. "You two need to recover," she declared. "We shall hear of Pip's condition soon enough."

"Yes, ma'am," the Faunus girl smirked, slipping an arm around Beryl's skinny shoulders. "Dust," she sighed. "It's gonna be nice to get into our own beds again."

"Mmhmm," Beryl mumbled around her drink. "I get to be the big spoon first."

"Oh, really?"

The blue-haired girl nodded, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "I gots me some ear scritching to do."

"Well," Evie replied, a pleased grin on her face. "Far be it from me to dissuade you any."

Evidently deciding to get a head start on things, Beryl reached up with her free hand and began to gently rub in between her Faunus ears, causing her eyes to flutter shut and a low purr to build up in her chest. She placed both of her hands behind her to keep herself upright, though really all she wanted to do was to curl up in this wonderful girl's lap and never leave.

After some time her eyes shot open again at a commotion by the door. Frost was there now with a small but reassuring smile on her face.

"She will be fine," the huntress announced. "Viridian has her resting now, but the prognosis is good."

"It worked?" Evie asked anxiously. "The procedure, it… it's going to help her?"

Frost nodded as she dragged Viridian back into the room, directing him to sit in a chair away from the console. "Yes, so he tells me. We'll see more after she's rested some."

Evie and Beryl gave each other a tight hug. "Oh, thank Oum," Beryl murmured.

Before she could reply, Evie's scroll vibrated, indicating an incoming call.

"That was fast," she murmured, pulling the device back out and answering the call. Their headmaster faced her once more, though his usual mask was in place again.

"Miss Black," he greeted her. "Anything more to report on your end?"

"Yes, sir!" she said happily. "Pip is out of surgery, she should be fine and more in control of herself. Um, we'll know more when she wakes up again."

"That is excellent news. Now, then, I do have some rather unfortunate tidings to relay. Is Miss Frost Schnee with you still?"

"Yes, sir, she's right here." She passed the scroll over to their recent ally, who took it with a gracious nod.

"Hello, Professor Ozpin," the elegant women said solemnly. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"And you as well, Miss Schnee. First I must thank you for your assistance with my students in their efforts to end this latest threat."

"Of course, I felt it only proper with how my actions, or rather inactions, allowed things to progress as far as they did."

Ozpin nodded solemnly. "And I personally do not hold you in any way responsible for that. I do, however, have some regretful news I must impart." He paused momentarily before continuing. "Your brother Damian was found dead in his mansion a short while ago."

Frost stared at him in shock, fumbling behind her for the counter's edge. Lustre was quick to move over and wrap a supporting arm around her waist.

"How…?" the white-haired woman breathed.

"It would seem to be the same method used previously by the man called Leech."

Frost's face contorted in anger. "Damn him… Damn them both."

"I understand from Miss Black that both Leech and the other member of Malachite's circle, called Whisper I believe, had escaped after their defeat. I have their descriptions out and, hopefully, they will surface again soon."

"Thank you," Frost whispered, handing the scroll back over to Evie.

"So… what happens to your company now?" Beryl asked quietly.

"I don't know," Frost sighed. "I suppose… that makes me CEO." She laughed bitterly. "Not that I want it, I never have."

"Then what will you do?" Lustre asked, concern on her face.

Evie looked over their little group with a small smile. Even though Frost had been only a temporary ally, fighting together and putting your life on the line for each other created a certain bond. They were all worried for their new friend now.

"I do not know," Frost murmured. "I can't just become a huntress again, my name will precede me and cause problems, especially once it comes out how Damian was involved… And I can't just let my grandfather's company go to ruin, even though I don't know a thing about running it…"

"Perhaps," Ozpin spoke up from the scroll where he was still listening in. "You might allow the board of directors to run the company for now. They do, after all, have the experience and the interests of the company in mind."

Frost glanced over at the scroll and nodded slowly. "I suppose… Yes, that will have to do. Ownership of the company passes to me, but I do not have to actually run it." She sighed once more. "But then what shall I do?" the huntress murmured.

"You live your own life," Ozpin replied. Evie turned the scroll so that the camera was facing Frost as the headmaster continued. "It just so happens I have an opening at Beacon for a combat instructor."

Frost stared at him blankly. "Are you… offering me a job?"

"Well, the opportunity for one," he replied calmly. "You'd still need to go through the application process, of course."

"Of course," she murmured. "Well… I shall think upon your offer, Professor. Thank you."

"You are most welcome. And, Miss Black?"

Evie turned the scroll back to her again. "Sir?"

"I do hope for a speedy recovery for Miss Cerise. Once she is back on her feet again, I expect to see the four of you soon. Please let me know when you are able to depart Atlas and visit my office."

"Yes, sir," she gulped, ending the transmission.

"Sooo…" Beryl drawled nervously. "Maybe we're not as out of the woods as we thought?"

"I guess we'll find out," Evie sighed, a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, still alive, haven't forgotten about y'all… I have one more chapter to finish up this story arc (volume) and then we'll go on a little bit of a hiatus, perhaps only a couple of weeks at the most, while I flesh out the third volume a little more. You'll have an idea of what it will entail by the end of the next chapter.
> 
> And yes, we're definitely going to see more of Frost.


	27. Recovery

**Volume 2  
**

Malachite's Atlas Base  
Tuesday Afternoon

Beryl stood by the side of Pip's bed, holding on to Evie's hand as she watched the blonde slumber. "She doesn't look any different," she murmured.

The Cat Faunus shook her head. "No, she doesn't. But I suppose that's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"Sooo…" Evie gave her hand a squeeze. "You wanna talk about it yet?"

She sighed, flicking her gaze over to the other chair in the room containing her partner, who was regarding her with a level but concerned gaze.

"Shouldn't we wait for Pip to wake up first?"

"Sweetie…"

"Yeah, I know," Beryl sighed again. "I'm just putting it off… Look, I don't really understand what happened. I was just standing over you, and the Beowolves were closing in, and then…"

"What happened next, dear?" Lustre prodded gently when Beryl remained silent for a few moments.

She still waited a few more seconds before responding, simply because she found it so difficult to articulate what had happened. "And then, it was like my aura exploded."

"Exploded?" Evie asked curiously.

"I don't know how else to explain it." Beryl shook her head wearily. "I keep going over it, and I don't know what it was. I was just… I wanted to protect you so badly, and my semblance was up while I was standing over you, and I don't know how I did it. I just… exploded outwards."

"Everything in that room had been thrown back from where we found you," Lustre murmured thoughtfully. "As if it was the center of a concussive blast."

"But was it enough to kill the Grimm as well?" Evie asked.

"No, they just… disintegrated when it hit them." Beryl sighed, looking down at her feet. "I know it sounds crazy, and I don't get how I could have done what I did…"

"Perhaps..." Lustre mused. "Perhaps you merely discovered a new aspect of your semblance."

Beryl's eyes shot up, meeting her partner's pale blue gaze. "How d'you mean?"

"Well, your semblance is primarily protection-based. You anchor yourself in the way of harm to protect those behind you."

"Okay," she replied slowly. "I can follow that so far, I mean, yeah that's how I see myself anyways."

"You don't have to, you know," Evie murmured, giving her a quick peck on her cheek. "You don't always have to protect us."

Beryl looked up at her girlfriend solemnly. "Yeah, I do."

The Cat Faunus gave her an affectionate sigh and just shook her head. "Alright, then. So what else were you thinking, Lustre?"

"Well, perhaps this is merely an extension of the same method of protection." Lustre's eyebrows were furrowed in thought as she worked through her theory. "This 'explosion' would prevent her, or those she protected, from becoming overrun. You glow blue when you have your semblance activated, perhaps it was this glow that you sent outwards to push your enemies away from you?"

"I… I don't know." Beryl frowned. "I suppose it could have been… but how did I do it?"

"Well, what were you thinking of when it happened?"

Beryl closed her eyes, concentrating on the fleeting memory. "Evie was at my feet, bleeding… Gods, she was bleeding so badly…" She felt her girlfriend clasp her hand harder, and she clung to it so as not to get lost in the horror of the moment. "And I was thinking… thinking that I'd protect her, defend her to my dying breath… and then… Then I was just thinking, they won't have her, I won't let them have her, and I felt this, this pressure building up…" Her voice was rising slightly as she spoke and she felt herself trembling slightly. "And then I screamed."

"What was it you screamed?" Lustre prompted gently.

"Stay away from her," she finished with a whisper.

Evie let go of her hand so that she might wrap her arms around the shorter girl who was now shaking like a leaf. "It's okay, sweetie," the Faunus girl murmured. "It's alright, I'm here and I'm safe now, okay?"

"I know," Beryl mumbled into her chest. "I just… I came so close to losing you, and then I wouldn't have anything left to live for…"

"Don't be like that," Evie chastised her quietly, though unwilling to release her from the embrace. "I don't want to hear you talk like that, you have a lot of people who care for you…"

"What would it matter, though, if I didn't have you?" she replied in a broken whisper.

Evie choked back a laugh. "Yes, well… I seem to remember being in a similar state of panic after the first round of the Vytal Tournament."

"That's 'cause you loved me back then already."

"Yeah… I suppose I did… Gods, I wanted to punch the dust outta Sunny when she came in and started playing nurse…"

Beryl giggled. "My jealous little kitty cat."

"Don't you forget it. Anything like that you ever do again better be with me in mind."

The blue-haired girl pulled back to regard her girlfriend warily. "Um… what exactly was _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Just what I said."

Beryl blinked at her uncertainly, a light blush forming across her cheeks, as she tried to figure out exactly how to articulate how it sounded in her ears.

Fortunately, Evie figured it out on her own soon enough. "Oh! No, I didn't mean like…" The raven-haired girl's cheeks were a flaming red by this point. "Not like… you and Sunny, when you… I mean…"

"So," Beryl smirked, feeling a little smug. "No threesomes, then?"

Evie just sputtered incoherently.

"I did not hear a 'no' there, dear," Lustre grinned, enjoying the spectacle.

"Nope, neither did I," Beryl grinned.

Evie finally just snorted and clomped over to a chair, plopping herself down inelegantly. "I'm not talking to either of you," she growled, her tail swishing furiously behind her and her Faunus ears flattened against her head.

Beryl and Lustre's laughter was cut off when a weak voice spoke up.

"You know, I'm always available, babe."

"Pip!" the three other team members shouted joyously. Evie and Lustre both leapt to their feet and crowded around the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Evie asked anxiously.

The blonde gave them a wan smile. "Kinda like I got run over by an airbus. But… overall, pretty damn good."

"Clear-headed?" Beryl prompted next. "I mean, you can think straight, right? And you're still in control?"

"Well, let's see…" Pip held up a hand, palm up, and stared at it for a moment. Suddenly there was a pulsing along the veins of her arm, the crimson color running up to her hand, and where it ended a small flame came into existence, flickering upon her palm like a candle.

"Huh, it worked."

"Pip…" Evie breathed. "That's... "

"Really cool," Beryl finished, awestruck.

"So are you fireproof now?" Lustre asked quizzically.

"Apparently, yeah. From what the doc said, if I practice enough, I should be able to, like, toss the fire around."

"Oh my Oum, you can make fireballs?" Beryl squealed.

"Maybe," Pip laughed, clenching her fist and snuffing out the flame. "Still takes aura to activate, but doesn't drain me any, since the dust is fused inside me now. I gotta take the time to figure out all what I can do, y'know?"

"Well, we will have to find the time back at Beacon," Lustre interjected solemnly. "Professor Ozpin wants us back as soon as we are able."

"Can you travel yet, or do you need more time to recover?" Evie questioned.

"Nah, I'm good," Pip replied, setting actions to words as she swung her feet around and stood up. She was a bit wobbly at first, but soon enough stood up straight and stretched her arms over her head.

Unfortunately, as she did so, her flimsy hospital gown tore and dropped to the floor.

"Oops," Pip grinned sheepishly.

Lustre shook her head with a resigned sigh while the others just averted their gazes. "I shall find you some clothes, dear."

"Thanks, Lustre! Guess we need to grab our gear, then, and find that Bulldog?"

"Yep, it's waiting for us," Evie confirmed. "Frost has Viridian secured and they're just waiting on us."

"Alright," the blonde sighed as Lustre re-entered the room, a pair of grey sweatpants and a white tee shirt in her arms. "Let's get this show on the road, and you guys can catch me up on the flight back…"

Beacon Academy  
Tuesday Evening

Many hours later, they touched down at the landing pad of Beacon. Frost had stayed behind in Atlas to start the cleanup of the SDC and work with the board of directors to ensure the company itself did not collapse. But finally, after a very long day, they were back home again.

As soon as the group exited, they were met by several veteran hunters who took Doctor Viridian off of their hands. After that, it was just a matter of taking the long walk to the elevator leading up into Ozpin's tower.

"Whelp, here we go," Pip murmured.

" _Evieeee_ …" Beryl moaned quietly. "Everyone's staring at us..."

"Hmm," the Faunus mused, taking in the curious glances of the students lining the walkway. "Nothing hostile, though…"

One of the students broke away and began walking next to them calmly. Beryl was pleased to recognize Indie, the green-eyed leader of their friends from Team IRIS, her shoulder-length blonde hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Ladies," their friend greeted them levelly.

"Hey there, Indie," Pip grinned. "How'd you guys make out? Everyone in your team okay?"

"Yeah, we all escaped without any injuries," she replied. "Gotta ask you, though… there's a lotta rumor flying around about you guys and how you pretty much deserted Vale. I'm guessing, though, that you found something out in the library?"

"That we did," Pip replied solemnly. "Didn't have the time to get permission or anything, and they likely wouldn't have let us anyways… Well, you heard some about what happened with the SDC?"

Indie stopped in her tracks, her mouth gaping. "You killed Damian Schnee?" she whispered incredulously.

"No, no, not that!" the lanky blonde replied, waving her arms about emphatically. "We just figured out it was him as the money guy, giving lien to Malachite. Got the location of the bad guy's base, his sister Frost came with us, and we kicked ass."

Indie nodded slowly and resumed walking alongside them. "Looks like you didn't come away unscathed, though," she commented, glancing over at Evie.

The Cat Faunus nodded genially, aware that her new scars would likely draw attention for awhile. "Would have been a lot worse, though," the raven-haired girl replied, giving Beryl's hand a squeeze where she held it.

"So…" Indie mused. "The glowing Grimm all dropping dead, that was you guys then?"

"Yup," Pip answered.

"Damn. Guess you're the heroes, then, huh?"

"Welllll…" Pip smiled sheepishly. "We did desert, and kinda steal a Bulldog, and invade the private residence of a corporate CEO…"

"Ah, hence the very slow walk of doom towards Ozpin's office," Indie smirked.

"Yup," Pip replied again, this time far more despondently. "Guess we'll see how much trouble we're in."

"Well, for what it's worth… thank you guys. And I'm glad to see you're all okay." She flashed Lustre a quick smile. "I'll let the others know you're alright, and maybe do a little damage control to the rumor mill."

"Thank you, Indie," Lustre replied warmly. "I hope to meet up with you again soon."

"If they don't just lock us up," Beryl grumbled as they boarded the elevator.

"Now, I don't think Ozpin would be _that_ drastic," Evie murmured.

Still, it was with a certain amount of trepidation that the four students disembarked from the elevator and into the headmaster's office.

He stood at the window, his hands clasped behind him as he gazed out across the school and towards the town of Vale itself.

"Have a seat, please," he murmured without turning around.

Beryl audibly gulped as she took a seat as close to Evie as she could without crawling into her lap. She could tell that her girlfriend was wanting to do the same, but they settled for tightly lacing the fingers of their hands together.

After a good minute, Ozpin let out a quiet sigh as he turned and paced over to his desk. He sat in his high-backed chair, adjusting the cuffs of his jacket as he did so, and then pushed his glasses up on his nose.

"Miss Cerise. I understand the detrimental side effects of your condition have now abated?"

"Er, yessir," Pip answered meekly. "Viridian finished the procedure on me, and now I got… a bit of control over things. At least, I don't need the shots anymore."

"Hmm." He reached forward and took a sip from his mug. "You will need to spend some time in the infirmary just to be sure."

And that, obviously, was not a request. "Yessir," Pip said again.

Ozpin's gaze moved on to Evie next. "And Miss Black. Your injuries seem to have been quite extensive and yet healed as if they occurred quite some time ago. A remarkable feat for a huntress-in-training."

"Um, yes, sir. That is… Beryl helped me. We…" The Cat Faunus nervously glanced at her teammates, and Beryl gave her a confident nod. "Sir, we share an Aura Bond. And she was able to transfer enough aura to me to help me heal."

"Interesting," the unflappable headmaster murmured. "And indeed quite remarkable. I would imagine, however, that even sharing such a bond, the transference of that much aura came close to ending your own life, am I correct, Miss Beryl?"

"Yes, sir," the diminutive blue-haired girl nodded firmly. "I have no regrets, sir."

"Hmm." Ozpin graced the pair of them with a very slight smile before glancing at the last member of their team. "And you, Miss Bijou. No significant injuries?"

"No, headmaster. I am quite well now, thank you."

The grey-haired man nodded slowly. "Excellent. Now, I would like to first reiterate how pleased I am at your successful efforts at ending this threat to the four kingdoms. You all remind me of several other teams in the past, ones who went on to become legendary figures in their own right. I'm sure you've heard of them." He gave them another slight smile. "In fact, you have met one, if briefly."

All four of the girls sat up a little straighter, flush with buoyancy from the compliment of the comparison to the famous Team RWBY.

"However," he continued in the same mild tone. "I must take some exception to the methods you used to obtain your goals."

And just like that, their good moods evaporated.

"I am sure I do not need to go over the list of transgressions. Were these normal times, any one of them would be grounds for possible expulsion from this academy."

Beryl gulped once more, gripping Evie's hand more tightly.

"Fortunately, there were not normal times. I assume your actions were based off of the belief that your course would not be approved. Given that… I must still administer some form of punishment, even though the end of the semester is a scant two weeks away."

Ozpin leaned forward and folded his hands on the desk in front of him. "Your team is grounded from further missions, through the remainder of the semester."

The four girls stared at him for a few more heartbeats, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Er… Is that it? Sir?" Pip asked hesitantly.

Ozpin quirked an eyebrow. "Would you like more, Miss Cerise?"

"No, sir! Not at all, sir!"

"Very well. I do believe you are all deserving of several hours sleep. Classes have been canceled for the next two days to allow for students to recover. I expect you all to take the next day to relax, and Miss Cerise, do stop by the infirmary the following day. Are we clear?"

The four of them nodded quickly, rising from their chairs. "Yessir, very clear!" Pip replied, turning to leave.

"Oh, and girls?"

They paused halfway to the elevator to glance back at Ozpin, the corners of his mouth quirked slightly.

"Next time, do not be so quick to assume what I would or would not approve."

"Yessir!" the blonde team leader grinned.

Beacon Academy  
Friday Evening

It had been a rather grueling few days. Pip had spent quite some time in the infirmary and still hadn't had the time to figure out the extent of her new abilities. Meanwhile, classes had started up again, and the professors were cramming as much in as they could prior to final exams beginning the following week.

Practically all of the students felt woefully unprepared for the end of the semester.

The stress was beginning to build as the library remained open around the clock, free space hard to find no matter what time of day or night it was. For Team PERL it was no different, and they all felt as if they spent more time staring at their class notes and textbooks than with each other.

And that's why Beryl couldn't quite seem to wrap her head around the message she'd received from her father.

On the surface, it seemed simple enough, just a quick missive regarding something he'd found and wanted to pass along to her. But the ramifications of that very simple message…

It would shake the foundations of one particular person that Beryl was close to.

Eventually, she shook herself out of her stupor, quickly coming to the realization that she had no idea at all how to proceed. This called for a second opinion, specifically, that of a rather gorgeous Cat Faunus, who even though was looking particularly harassed at the moment was the first person she'd thought of.

"Beryl, sweetie, not right now," Evie murmured, her brow furrowed as she poured over her notes while sitting under a tree outside. "I've gotta go through this one more time if the latter section is to make any sense…"

"Please, Evie," the blue-haired girl begged quietly. "I need you to read this."

Sighing, the raven-haired girl set her notes down, her tail swishing irritably behind her though her tone remained gentle. "Alright, then. What's so important?"

Beryl handed her scroll to Evie, who wordlessly took it and began to read. And then her sapphire eyes widened like saucers as she gasped softly, her tail stilling.

"Beryl, this… this is…"

"I know!" the blue-haired girl hissed. "But what do I do with this?"

The Cat Faunus chewed on her bottom lip, thinking hard. "We have to tell her at some point…"

"But exams are coming up…"

"There's never going to be a perfect time," Evie asserted.

Beryl let out a small huff. "I know, I know… Okay, maybe we should ask Lustre too…"

"Yes, absolutely." She pulled her own scroll out, sending a quick message asking for the whereabouts of their silver-haired teammate. They coordinated a meeting over in front of their dorm and headed over immediately.

Lustre noted her teammate's agitation and readily agreed to view the scroll message, though her reaction was similarly astonished. She was, however, unequivocal as to their next action.

"We have to tell her," she asserted firmly. "Now."

And so it was that the other three girls clustered around Pip as she reclined in her desk chair, looking up at them askance.

"Okay, you're all startin' to worry me a little bit here…"

Beryl sighed, clutching her scroll in her small hands. "Pip… I got a message from my dad. He, well… He did a little research based off of something he noticed when he met you all. And, well…" She handed her scroll over to Pip.

The blonde accepted the device and read it. Then reread it before looking out the window, her coral eyes slightly unfocused.

"My mom is… alive?"

"Possibly," Beryl conceded, taking the scroll back and glancing over the contents once more. "I mean, all we have to go on is her name, Jewel Cerise, and that she was a huntress, and last spotted in Mistral, though that was a few years ago… but…"

Pip shook her head slightly. "But she could be alive still. Why… How did I end up at an orphanage?"

"I don't think my dad got that much. But still…" Beryl looked down at the image there on the scroll that accompanied the message, a vibrant-looking woman who could be a twin to Pip were it not for the bright blue eyes. The picture was apparently taken some time ago.

"Can you send it to my scroll?" Pip whispered, still staring out the window.

"Sure, Pip."

"Sweetie," Evie asked her partner gently. "What do you want to do?"

"I… I don't know," the blonde replied, still a little stunned at the news. "I mean… I want to find her... and ask her… Oum, I have so many questions for her…"

"Very well," Lustre interjected firmly. The others looked up at the silver-haired girl, her ice-blue eyes flashing with determination. "As of right now, there is nothing to do until after exams. But once summer break is here I know exactly what we shall do as a team and as a family."

She grinned at them, warm and confident.

"You will all accompany me to my home in Mistral, and we shall spend the break tracking down Pip's mother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so that wraps up Volume 2, and sets the stage for Volume 3 which will take place essentially over the girls' summer break. I got some fun stuff lined up as Pip goes in search of her family.


	28. Tourists

**Volume 3  
**

Beacon Academy  
Friday Afternoon

Pip grinned fiercely, her long blonde ponytail swinging out behind her like an actual tail as she spun low under the vicious spear thrust. In reply, she lashed out with her greatsword, _Odachi Dahlia_ , forcing her opponent to skip nimbly backwards.

Instead of following up, the lanky team leader changed her spin into a side hop, bringing her weapon down into an overhand swing at a certain dust mage who'd allowed herself to get a bit too close to the action.

Raye, the chestnut-haired Wolf Faunus who was her current object of aggression, let out a _yelp_ as she somersaulted backwards. She still managed to flick her weapon out, a closed fan that served as a wand in this form, and sent a spray of ice shards at Pip.

The blonde's grin widened as she held her hand up, willing a tendril of aura to trigger her dust-imbued body. A quick pulse of red shot up the veins of her arm, before a blast of heat erupted from her open palm. The ice dissipated harmlessly into vapor.

"Seriously?" Raye cried out in dismay.

Pip laughed merrily, but before she could make a snarky comeback, her original opponent flew in at her again. "Hey, we're not done yet!" Sepia barked. Her spear flashed out once more, held in only one hand this time while the other clutched her buckler to intercept Pip's counterattack.

The blonde backed up, whirling her sword around her to fend off the furious onslaught. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted that Lustre was pressing Ivory hard. The silver-haired girl was almost a blur with her staff, and the white-haired Fox Faunus had a hard time keeping up using her dual-wielded short swords.

Another quick glance told her Beryl was still having difficulty freeing herself from the muddy morass that Raye had encased her in. With the blue-haired girl out of commission temporarily, it was three on four, giving Pip's team a disadvantage.

At least, it would seem that way at first glance.

She saw the team leader of IRIS, Indie, dart in at Lustre's back, her shoulder-length blonde hair frazzled from the number of times she'd had to roll on the ground out of the way of constant attacks. And, sure enough, before she could reach her target, Evie was there. The Cat Faunus blinked in and swung her scimitar to cut Indie's legs out from under her, but the blonde managed to jump at the last second, only to once again roll into the dirt.

"You're doing that on purpose!" Indie growled, swinging her nunchucks out behind her, hoping to catch the raven-haired girl by surprise.

By that point, of course, Evie was already gone, teleporting over to harass Raye once more.

"Perhaps you should not have made fun of her girlfriend's hair," Lustre commented mildly as she darted past the prone girl, pursuing the nimble snow fox as she tried to get range for her pistols. Of course, she made a swipe with her staff as she passed that Indie only barely managed to dodge.

"I wasn't… Ugh!" Indie shook her head irritably as she climbed to her feet. "I just asked if it was a dye job! How was I to know?"

By this point Beryl had finally freed herself and began trudging over, leaving muddy footsteps in her wake. "Not to worry, Indie," she grinned. "I'm sure she'll forgive you by the end of the match."

"Thank Oum for small favors," Indie grumbled, twirling her nunchucks around her torso. "Let's go, then, Blue."

"One sec," Beryl said with a smirk, slowing her approach. Indie's brow furrowed, but then Evie was at her side again, this time managing to kick her feet out from under her with a leg sweep before teleporting off again.

"Oh come on!" Indie yelled furiously, her emerald green eyes glittering with anger. "That's it!"

The blonde snapped her nunchucks in her hands, activating the red dust chamber as she jumped to her feet and ran at Beryl. The blue-haired girl raised her shield and activated her semblance, a blue glow encasing her form.

Normally, Indie's semblance protected her from the effects of red dust, which usually led to her rather reckless use of it in battle, much to the chagrin of her teammates. In this case, though, it was more the violent explosion as she connected with Beryl's shield and semblance that caused her to be flung away like a rag doll.

Along with everyone else in the sparring arena.

When the dust settled, Beryl was the only one still standing, though she looked a little stunned. Pip groaned as she levered herself up onto her elbows to glance up at the aura board.

Due to her immunity to fire, she only received minor damage from the blast itself, and her aura level was still in the green, as were both Indie and Beryl. Lustre and Sepia were barely into the yellow, but the other three, Evie, Raye, and Ivory were all eliminated from the fight.

"So," the blonde called out cheerfully. "Still wanna go on, three on two?"

"No point," Indie groaned from where she lay flat on her back.

Her teammate Ivory stalked up with a limp to glare down at her team leader, her fluffy white fox tail bristling angrily behind her. "Indie, we are going to have a serious team meeting about your red dust use."

"Seconded," Raye called out weakly, raising her hand into the air only to let it fall limply back alongside her prone form.

"Yeah, I know," Indie replied abashedly. "Sorry guys, I lost my head again."

"It happens," Pip said with a grin. "I've been known to do the same, once or twice."

Beryl let out an amused snort as she helped her raven-haired girlfriend to her feet. "Yeah, once or twice a week, maybe."

"Heard that."

"Not trying to be all that quiet about it, oh fearless leader."

"See?" Pip smirked. "The heavy burden of leadership."

Evie wordlessly flicked the blonde upside the back of her head with her tail as she passed her, arms linked with Beryl.

Indie just grinned widely and shook her head. "Ahh, Dust. It's gonna be a long summer without you guys to harass."

"Be over before you know it," Pip chuckled, bringing her recently-made friend in for one of her customary tight hugs. "Sorry you don't get to spend it with your team like I do."

"Pfft, no, we need a break from each other," the other blonde chuckled lightly. "I mean, yeah, I love 'em like sisters, but we'll be better for having a month off."

The two teams separated with cheerful cries of goodbye and thanks for the last-minute sparring session.

"So, back to the room to finish packing?" Lustre asked with an excited twinkle in her pale blue eyes. The Mistralian native was looking forward to seeing her family again, as she only got to visit twice a year, but more so she was excited to be bringing her new family along with her.

"Yep, let's get finished," Pip declared, wrapping an arm around both the silver-haired girl and her Faunus partner.

The latter sniffed, wrinkling her delicate nose as she ducked under the arm. "Shower, first," she declared sternly. "Definitely a shower first."

* * *

The blonde team leader crossed her arms as she examined her bags, mentally going over what she'd packed for their month-long summer excursion to Mistral.

It was a good way to keep her mind off of her nervousness.

Her field pack was stuffed to its limits with clothing, toiletries, weapon and armor maintenance kits, as well as an extra set of her specially-made fire-proof matching white halter top and exercise shorts that she normally wore under her armor.

She'd tried to convince the others of the tactical advantages of surprise nudity during combat, were she to suddenly combust, but they didn't find it nearly as hilarious as she did.

_Granted, keeping a sense of humor about my situation is the only way I've managed to not go stark, raving mad._

She flexed her fingers absent-mindedly, sending just a tendril of aura along her arm. Her fingertips glowed softly, and she held them up to her face, wiggling them about like dancing fireflies.

"Playing with yourself again?" her partner snarked from atop her bed.

Pip snorted humorously, dismissing the heat as she glanced up from where she sat, crossed-legged, on the floor. "You know it. Can't help myself."

The raven-haired Faunus snickered, her tail swishing playfully behind her as she rolled over onto her stomach. "Always knew you were debauched."

Wagging her eyebrows outrageously, the blonde wiggled her fingers once more. "Y'know, though, it'd almost be like having a heated-"

"Gods, Pip, stop that thought right there!" Beryl protested loudly, stomping over from her bed and glaring down with her fists planted on her hips and her light bronze eyes flashing irritably. "I do not need to know about your… you know… and you… _Argh_!"

She fell onto her back, laughing merrily at her teammate's consternation. "Oh, babe… come on, now, you can say it, I know you do it…"

The diminutive blue-haired girl blushed a bright cherry red as her mouth opened and closed wordlessly.

Pip sat back up, grinning widely as she leaned forward. "Masturbation," she whispered gleefully.

If anything, Beryl's blush intensified. " _Gah_!" she screamed, flinging her hands into the air as she stalked over to her girlfriend. "I swear to Oum, Pip, one of these days, you're gonna wake up missing a spleen!"

"Wow, that's a new one," the blonde replied mirthfully. "Impressive, actually, I like it."

"Oh, bite me," the blue-haired girl grumbled as she crawled over her softly giggling girlfriend. She flopped down, draping an arm across the Cat Faunus' back.

"Sorry, nope, that's _her_ job."

"Evie, she's picking on me," Beryl whined piteously.

"Want me to pounce her?" Evie asked over her shoulder, a gleam in her eyes and a wide grin on her face.

Beryl grinned back, moving her arm away. "Go for it."

"Now wait just a min- _Ack_!"

Evie didn't even bother leaping from the bed, she simply teleported to a foot over Pip's head and let herself drop. The blonde was caught completely off-guard for a change and went bowling over backwards until she was pinned to the floor by the lithe Cat Faunus.

"You give?" the other girl asked, showing entire too many teeth in her wide grin as her tail flicked back and forth eagerly.

" _Mmmayyybeee_ ," Pip drawled nervously as she eyed her partner's slightly extended canines. "You gonna eat me if I don't?"

"I don't eat junk food," Evie snickered.

"Oh, low blow babe, low blow…"

"You might as well surrender now, Pip," Lustre's voice came from her top bunk. "Woman up and admit defeat."

Pip barked out a quick laugh. "Damn, listen to you, Lustre, with the snark. Alright, alright, I give. I am sorry, Beryl, for picking on you and embarrassing you in front of your girlfriend, even though we all just wish you'd do the deed and get it over with."

Above her, Evie was begun to ease back, but at the last statement leaned in again with a low growl, her sapphire blue eyes glittering dangerously. The twin scars down her face, one of which crossed her eye, stood out clearly on her flushed face.

"Okay, yeah that last bit kinda crossed the line and I'm really sorry to both of you and please don't rip my throat out," Pip rapidly squeaked.

"Hmm." Evie sat back, her ears twitching, but she didn't move from her perch on the tall girl's torso. "What do you think, sweetie? Should I still eviscerate her?"

"Please no," the blonde whimpered.

"Oh, let the big doofus up," Beryl laughed. "No complaining the next time you walk in on us making out, though, you got me?"

"Yep, you betcha," Pip chuckled ruefully, sitting upright once Evie rolled off with her usual fluid grace. Her knee banged up against her second bag, filled with her armor and the weapon case for her beloved greatsword. "So, are we all pretty much set to go?"

Her question was met by a chorus of affirmatives.

"Right." She stood up with her hands on her hips, surveying the room. They'd managed to confirm that they would retain the same room next year, so with permission from Ozpin himself left the beds bunked. Which was a good thing, as most of the room was taken up with the boxed possessions of Team PERL, labeled with name and room number. They'd be carted out and into storage for the next month while the rooms were thoroughly cleaned.

She sighed softly, her face falling back into the serious, contemplative lines that she'd been exhibiting so often the past two weeks.

Ever since she found out her mom might actually be alive still.

"Hey," a soft voice called out.

Pip glanced over to note both Evie and Beryl sitting side by side with reassuring smiles on their faces. "It's gonna be okay," her partner continued. "We'll be with you every step of the way."

"That is correct," Lustre added as she nimbly hopped down from her bunk, overstuffed knapsack in hand. "We will not abandon you in this quest, and you will not be facing this alone."

"I know," the blonde nodded with a wan smile. "I do, really. You know how much I love you guys, right?"

"I think we have an idea," Beryl grinned cheekily. "Even if you are a pain in the ass much of the time."

"All part of my charm, babe."

"No, Pip, it isn't really…"

Mistral  
Saturday Morning

The four team members trudged off of the airship wearily, Beryl rubbing her eyes while Evie stretched as only a Cat Faunus could. Pip seemed to be shambling along half-asleep, while only Lustre seemed to be awake and alert. The damp humidity seemed to sap what little energy the rest of them had.

The blue-haired girl shook her head as she slung her shield over her shoulder, field pack in her hand. _Should have tried sleeping earlier on the flight and not stayed awake talking._

"You okay, sweetie?" Evie murmured, bumping her shoulder gently.

"'Course I am," she grinned back, exulting in the little flare of aura as hers reacted to Evie's from the touch. "You?"

"Hmm… I suppose, maybe just a little anxious about being in a new place. And meeting new people. Never really did get a measure of what Lustre's parents are like."

Beryl shrugged unconcernedly. Normally she'd be the shy, socially awkward one to cling to the back of the group, but since she'd started dating Evie, sharing a bed with her, not to mention their auras… Well, it all just seemed to fade into a certain insignificance.

That didn't mean she was suddenly the paragon of confidence by any means. But with her girlfriend at her side, she simply knew she'd be able to handle whatever came their way.

"I know she's an only child," Beryl began as they walked along, following in Lustre's footsteps. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Pip was still trailing behind, the blonde's eyelids only half open. "Other than that, I suppose they'd be kinda like Lustre herself, right?"

"Well, I guess we'll see," Evie smirked, pointing ahead.

Lustre had increased the length of her strides as she spotted an elderly-looking couple ahead. They were dressed in loose but colorful clothes and had the same dusky skin as Lustre. The man, evidently her father, was of an ever darker shade, almost the color of a Grimm, but he had an easy smile on his face that showed off pearly-white teeth as he gave Lustre a tight hug.

The silver-haired girl turned and gestured the rest of them forward. "Mami, Papi, these are my teammates. This is Evie, and Beryl, and bringing up the rear is Pip, my team leader."

"Welcome to Mistral," Lustre's father said warmly, his voice mellow and soothing. "We are so very happy you have come to visit with our dear Lustre."

"Yes, indeed," her mother smiled, her syrupy voice holding the same curious accent as Lustre's. Evidently, she got her looks from her mother as well, though the older woman's silver hair fell in long, wavy locks down her back. "Please, come along now and we will bring you to our home."

Pip just nodded sleepily, which caused Evie to roll her eyes in exasperation. "We're very happy to be here, Mr. and Mrs. Bijou, and thanks so much for your hospitality."

Beryl smiled with a nod of her own. "Yeah, thanks for having us here."

"Oh, it is not a concern. Now come, come," the older woman beckoned. "I do believe your friend Pip is about to fall asleep on her feet, the poor thing."

The petite blue-haired girl jabbed an elbow into Pip's ribcage, startling her into awareness. "Huh? Oh, um, hey there… Er, thanks for letting us stay with you guys and all…"

"It is fine, dear," Mrs. Bijou said with a tinkling laugh. "Come along, now."

Bijou Residence, Mistral

The house that Lustre had grown up in was larger than Beryl had expected. It was two stories, with an odd architecture that she hadn't ever seen before. The outside was covered by some sort of white plaster, and there seemed to be exposed beams sticking out the sides of the house from the rooftop.

But as they entered, the heat and humidity that had plagued them since they set foot in Mistral faded away. It was cool inside, with few windows but plenty of both lighting and colors.

"Here, this way please," the mother gestured towards the stairs. "Lustre, dear, show your guests to their rooms. It is set up as you requested."

Her silver-haired teammate smiled softly and gave her mother another hug. "Thank you so much, Mami. Perhaps we shall take a short nap, and join you for dinner?"

"That would be lovely. We shall see you then."

Mr. Bijou gave them a friendly nod as they passed, trudging up the steps. Lustre paused in the upper hallway, gesturing to the right.

"My parents sleep through that door, and they have their own bathroom. This door in the middle is the restroom we may use, and here is my bedroom." She glanced at the lanky blonde currently being held up only by the grace of a nearby wall. "Pip, I hope you will not object to staying in my room? I have two beds."

"Sounds spectacular," Pip slurred, lurching through the door Lustre indicated. The silver-haired girl shoved her in the direction of the bed she would be using before turning to the others.

"So… I have a small treat for you," she smiled hesitantly. She led them further down the hall to a room next to the bathroom and opened the door. In it was a full-sized bed with bright green coverings.

"This is for the both of you," Lustre murmured, her pale blue eyes shining with heartfelt emotion. "It is usually reserved for visiting family, but I thought you might appreciate the accommodations."

"You, partner, are all kinds of awesome." Beryl wrapped her arms around her middle and gave her a tight hug, soon joined by Evie.

"Thank you so much, sweetie," the Cat Faunus murmured. "This is really nice."

"It is my pleasure," she murmured in reply once they disengaged. "I shall knock on your door once dinner is ready. Have a nice nap."

Once they were inside and had dropped their bags to the side, Beryl and Evie faced each other with wide grins.

"I know we're here to help Pip and all," the raven-haired girl began with an excited whisper, "but this is gonna be such an awesome vacation!"

"Yeah, it is," Beryl murmured, closing the distance so that she could embrace her girlfriend. She stood up on her tiptoes to seal her lips against the other girl's, but Evie was quick to lean down somewhat and deepen the kiss. Their tongues danced alongside each other's languidly, as if they had all the time in the world to enjoy one another.

Of course, that was not to be, as a hesitant knock sounded on their door. The couple broke apart, giggling, while Beryl walked over to the door.

"Did you forget some- Oh." She blinked her eyes at Mrs. Bijou. "Er, sorry, ma'am. Did you need something?"

"May I enter?" the older woman asked hesitantly.

"Um, of course, I mean, it's your house and all, and… Yeah, lemme just get out of the way…"

Lustre's mother closed the door quietly behind her, and she stood with her hands clasped in front while she looked the couple over.

"I hope your accommodations are agreeable?" she began quietly with a small, inquisitive smile.

"Oh, more than," Evie smiled back. "Really, we're very grateful."

The silver-haired woman nodded, seemingly uncertain as she opened and closed her mouth a few times before getting to her point. "I just wanted to let you know… Well, more to the point, to understand, really. Er, the two of you are a couple, are you not?"

"We are, yes," Beryl answered cautiously, stepping back up against her girlfriend. Evie was quick to grasp the hand that she held behind her.

"Hmm." She tilted her head and looked at them thoughtfully. "I must admit, my husband and I are… unused to couples of the same gender. We do try to be as open-minded as we can, however, especially for our daughter's friends." She smiled then, and it was both genuine and reassuring. "Truthfully, I know she feels much more strongly about her team than that, if her messages home are any indication. Granted she has not told us everything she has been up to, but I imagine you have all held each other's lives in your hands, have you not?"

Both Evie and Beryl nodded quickly. "Absolutely, we all think of each other as family," the blue-haired girl was quick to interject. "Sisters."

"That is indeed nice. If I may be so bold… Does this not pose a problem to the two of you, being a couple? I do not want to sound degrading at all, but what if difficulties were to arise in the future between the two of you?" She raised her hands quickly in a defensive manner. "Please understand, I only ask as a concerned mother, since my daughter's life in indeed in your hands."

"It's alright, ma'am," the Cat Faunus stated solemnly. "We are best of friends first and foremost. Ultimately, though, there is no way I could ever dream of hurting my Mate- er, I mean, my girlfriend." She stopped then, glancing down at the floor and blushing furiously.

Beryl shot her a curious look before continuing. "We really do love one another, and with everything we've been through and shared… Well, I have to agree, there's just no way we could hurt each other in such a way."

"I see." Mrs. Bijou inclined her head before turning towards the door. "I thank you for setting at ease the mind of an old woman. I shall see you for dinner." With that she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Evie quickly stepped away and pulled the sheets down on the bed. "So, we should take that nap now, right?" she asked, her words just a little too quick to be normal.

Stepping up close behind her, Beryl wrapped her arms around her middle. "Come on now, kitty cat. Talk to me, what's troubling you?"

"Nothing, really… It's… nothing…"

Beryl hummed to herself thoughtfully as she rubbed her face along Evie's spine. "Was it what you said, about me being your… Mate?"

Her girlfriend seemed to deflate slightly, sagging in her arms. "I did not mean to say that…"

"But you were thinking it."

"...I was, yes…"

Beryl nodded, rising up to her tiptoes to kiss the back of Evie's neck, making her giggle slightly. With a grin, she headed around to the other side of the bed and began removing her clothes.

Even after sharing a bed for as long as she had with Evie, she still felt somewhat bashful disrobing around her. Granted, some of that was due to the fact that they had only, to this point, just fooled around. But she could never quite get over her own insecurities about her body. Yes, she was fairly toned and muscular, but it came at the cost of any feminine curves whatsoever, not to mention a bust size that was less than ideal, if one were to be generous.

Still, for whatever reason, her Faunus girlfriend did enjoy watching her undress just as much as she enjoyed watching her do the same. So, for her sake, she didn't turn away while she stripped off her tee shirt and jeans, leaving her in only her one-step-above-a-training-bra and boy shorts underwear.

She glanced up and was taken aback by the heat in Evie's sapphire blue eyes, the sort of hunger that made her go weak in the knees when it was directed at her.

"Umm," she breathed. "Do you wanna… cuddle a bit, before we nap?"

"Yeah," Evie murmured as she began to ease her clothes off. "Cuddle. Right."

Beryl eased herself under the covers with a smirk, folding her hands behind her head while Evie slipped her halter top over her head. Unlike Beryl, the raven-haired girl had a nicely ample bosom, not too top heavy but just enough for her to comfortably snuggle herself into.

She licked her dry lips as the Cat Faunus pulled her shorts off, showing her lacy black panties that matched the very skimpy bra. "Oh my freaking Oum, kitty cat, you're killing me here…"

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she replied softly, crawling into bed with her tail swishing lazily behind her. "I really don't mean to tease you so much… Um, can we still, you know… fool around a little?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Beryl grinned. She pulled Evie into her, giving her a warm but brief kiss. "I'd really like to hear a little about this mating thing first, though," she cautioned hesitantly. "I mean, it's not the first time I've heard it, but we've never really talked about it…"

Evie groaned softly and burrowed her face into the blue-haired girl's shoulder. "Can we not just yet?" she whispered. "I mean, yes, soon we can talk, I just… I need to get a few things straight in my own head first. Okay?"

"Toldya before, love, I'm not going anywhere," Beryl murmured, reaching up to stroke her fingers along her Faunus ears. She lingered along the missing chunk out of one ear, smiling somewhat sadly. "And I never will leave you, no matter what. I can wait till Remnant crumbles for you."

"Such a romantic," Evie giggled softly, rubbing her cheek along her collarbone. "And you're so patient with me… What did I do to deserve you?"

"Saved my life, for starters."

"No, I think that's the other way around."

"Nope," Beryl replied, her smile widening. "You save my life every day by being in it."

Evie pulled back at stared at her in the eyes. "Oum, that was smooth. How long have you been sitting on that one?"

"For awhile now," she admitted wryly. "Kept waiting for the right moment."

"Well, that was definitely it. Romantic as all Dust and gone, but yeah. Nice."

"So why aren't you kissing me yet?' Beryl asked softly.

"That," Evie murmured against her lips, "is an excellent question."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet mother of Oum, I'm back! Have no fear, I have a lot of story left for these girls. The entirety of Volume 3 is mapped out, and I already have some ideas for Volume 4. In the hunt for Pip's mother, though, expect some new faces and an unexpected twist or two. Along with some development of Evie and Beryl's relationship. (Yay!)
> 
> I haven't really gone into too much detail for Lustre's parents because, quite frankly, they're not going to play much of a part right now. But there will be a number of more memorable characters to surface, including some familiar faces…


	29. Changes

**Volume 3  
**

Downtown Mistral

Beryl walked hand-in-hand with her girlfriend, staring about the town of Mistral with her light bronze eyes wide open in wonder. She knew she was acting like an obvious tourist, but it was difficult not to do so.

The first thing that really struck the blue-haired girl was the vastly different weather there. She'd lived in Vale all her life, and had grown accustomed to fairly cool seasons with an oftentimes brutal winter. Vacuo, where they'd stayed for a couple of months during the Vytal Festival, was mostly dry and hot, with some variance depending on where they'd roamed. Even Atlas, though it had been a brief visit, was mostly just cold, though she knew the winters there could get even more ferocious than in Vale.

Mistral, now, felt like she was walking through water. Even with the four of them clad in shorts and tank tops, or in her case her usual baggy tee shirt and a pair of leggings, they were damp and sweating from the combination of heat and humidity.

"Oum, Lustre," she sighed disconsolately. "How did you ever survive here?"

The silver-haired girl glanced back, her light blue eyes twinkling. "Why do you think I wished to attend Beacon instead of Haven?"

"Smart girl," Evie moaned, her tail dragging and Faunus ears flat against her head. "I feel like I just walked out of a shower. It's nasty." She lifted up her ponytail to allow what little breeze there was to cool off the back of her neck.

"I like the town, though," Pip mused thoughtfully from where she strode at the head of the small group. "I mean, it's not like Vale or Vacuo, that's for sure."

Beryl was forced to nod in agreement, glancing around at the towering buildings. It was all very modern-looking, a vast difference from the adobe residences on the outskirts of the town. Of course, these very tall steel and concrete buildings tended to mostly block any potential breeze, so that was a bit of a detriment. She also noted that there were far fewer windows that she would expect, much as Lustre's house was.

She sighed once more, pulling at her tee shirt to allow some air to circulate. _I wonder if I will ever stop sweating… Maybe we should go into a shop for a bit, everyone could cool off…_ Her eyes narrowed as she picked up on something she hadn't noticed before.

"Pip," she began conversationally. "Why are you the only one not sweating?"

"Oh, uhhh…" The blonde stopped and faced her inquisitive friends, touching the tips of her index fingers together abashedly. "Sooo, yeah, my immunity to fire kinda sorta carries over to hot weather as well… Who knew, right?"

Evie shot her partner a dark look. "You suck," she growled, brushing past her with Beryl still in hand, her tail flicking irritably behind her.

"Oh, come on, it's not like I can help it!"

"Yeah, you still suck."

Pip grinned, sidling up to the damp Faunus and draping an arm around her shoulder. "Aww, come on kitty cat, you know you love me…"

"And I'm gonna remove that arm at the shoulder if it doesn't move."

"Yeah, good idea, you're all sweaty and stuff…"

Beryl was quick to move to the other side of her increasingly irate girlfriend, imposing herself in between the two partners to prevent bloodshed. "Okay, so here's an idea, how about we do a little shopping? Get out of the heat for awhile?"

"That is an excellent notion," their silver-haired teammate proclaimed, gesturing for them to cross the street at the next intersection. "There is a mall one block away, it should be much cooler at the least."

They walked along for a bit more, generally still gawking about while weaving through the other pedestrians. By now, though, Beryl had stopped gazing at the architecture and was beginning to take some note of the Mistralians themselves.

Most were dressed in loose, flowing clothes. Universally, though, they were in lighter colors. And they all seemed to move at a much more sedate pace than those from the other kingdoms.

There seemed to be a predominance of younger people the closer they got to the mall, many of them in rather skimpy clothing. A pair of Faunus boys walked past, the both of them shirtless, though the Wolf one had on white shorts while the other, some sort of bird from what Beryl could tell by the plumed hair, wore baggy tan pants.

"Maybe we should do as the Mistralians do," Evie joked quietly, giving the blue-haired girl a nudge. "Less clothing would make us cooler, wouldn't it?"

Beryl blushed brightly. " _So_ not worth it," she muttered, quailing at the thought of her knobby knees or decidedly un-feminine bodily features placed on display for all of Remnant to see.

With her head downcast, trying to keep images of public humiliation from her mind, she wasn't able to watch where she was walking and slammed into the back of a person.

"Oh, uh, sorry," she mumbled, backing away.

The tall, broad-shouldered youth turned with a sneer. "Watch where you're going, pint-size."

"Hey, she said she was sorry," Evie bristled, her Faunus ears upright and tail swishing behind her.

"Did I ask you, bitch?" the brown-haired boy inquired roughly. As he placed his hands on his hips, his five companions spread out behind him, all cut from much the same mold as their burly friend. "Maybe you need to be given a lesson, huh? This is our neighborhood, and we don't take kindly to freaks like yourselves."

"Freaks?" Beryl sputtered, crossing her arms and standing in front of Evie. She glared up at the boy, at least a good head and a half taller than her. "You calling my girlfriend a freak?"

"No, idiot, I called the both of you freaks," he smirked in reply.

"Oh, well okay then," Beryl suddenly smiled. "Just checking."

He blinked his eyes down at her, perplexed. "Huh?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to give my teammates time to flank you." Now it was Beryl's turn to smirk. "Ready, Pip?"

"Anytime you are, babe," the blonde's cheerful laugh came from somewhere behind the towering mass of muscled bodies.

The leader of the group of burly toughs snarled wordlessly and reached out with his hand to clutch at the front of Beryl's shirt. She twisted deftly, grabbing hold of his thumb and bending it back at a painful angle. He let out a howl of pain as she kept the pressure up until a wet _snap_ indicated it'd been broken.

At that, the fight was truly on.

Admittedly, it wasn't much of a challenge. None of the boys had Academy training, nor were their auras all that powerful. Even outnumbered and outmuscled, the four girls handily put the six boys down, leaving them groaning on the pavement and clutching their various wounds.

"Right, now I smell like a gym," Evie complained lightly. "This is _not_ the kind of weather I want to fight in."

"Honestly, not every day is this bad," Lustre protested as they resumed their walk.

"You sure?" Pip asked skeptically. "'Cause it hasn't changed since we got here."

"Pip, you have been here for only three days."

"Oh, well, yeah, I suppose."

They finally reached the wide revolving doors and entered the mall, each one breathing in a relieved waft of cool air.

"Ahhh," Evie sighed contentedly. "Now _this_ is a place I could spend all day in."

"Doesn't hurt that it's filled with shops, right, kitty cat?" Beryl smirked.

"Well… let's just call that a fringe benefit," Evie giggled. "So, where to first?"

"First," Pip declared, reading the overhead signs, "we get some food. I'm starving."

Her announcement was met by a chorus of eager affirmations, then the four friends headed towards where the food court was situated. Evie made a beeline for a shop selling seafood, while Pip and Beryl picked out a stall with simple burgers. Lustre, meanwhile, bolted for one particular newly-opened shop that proclaimed itself to serve the spiciest food in all of Mistral. She was murmuring excitedly about proving them wrong in their assumptions as she headed that way.

"Hey, um, Pip?" the blue-haired girl spoke up as they waited in line.

"What's up, babe?"

"After lunch, would you mind… helping me with something? I mean…" She coughed lightly into her fist. "Can you help me shop for some things?"

The blonde grinned down at her teammate. "You betcha."

The four of them settled around a free table that they'd managed to grab, though it took Evie staring down a rather persistent purple-haired girl who gave in once the rest of the team arrived. The three of them stared at Lustre's plate, on which was perched a rather unholy-looking creation.

"Lustre," the blue-haired girl intoned to her partner. "What in the name of Oum is that?"

"This," she proclaimed proudly, "is an enchilada."

"Um… is it actually moving on its own?" Evie inquired hesitantly.

"No, dear, that is just your imagination."

"Seriously, Lustre, I think I saw it move… at the very least it's bubbling and frothing and… uh, I think the plate might be melting a little, too?"

"Not to worry, they gave me an extra plate under it."

Pip leaned over to peer at the culinary abomination more closely but quickly recoiled. "Ugh, I think the fumes just burned my eyebrows off."

"Do not be such a baby," Lustre sighed. "Besides, does not your new immunity extend to your hair?"

"Well, yeah, but if I didn't have it they'd be scorched for sure."

"Such comedians. Very well." With that, Lustre used her steel fork to cut a piece off. The others could have sworn the metal utensil seemed to sag slightly, but when the dark-skinned girl placed it in her mouth, her eyes suddenly flew open wide.

"Um, you okay, babe?" Pip asked in concern.

The silver-haired girl held up and hand as she swallowed, then took a quick drink from her water.

"Oh, my," she breathed. "I shall have to remember this location."

"Are you… Are those tears?" Beryl gaped.

"Indeed. This is perhaps the spiciest food I have ever experienced." Lustre smiled widely, clearly in food nirvana.

Evie chuckled as she dug into her seafood salad. "Well, at least you can die a happy woman, now."

They finished off their meals quickly enough, clearing their table afterwards and trying very hard not to dwell upon the charred surface where Lustre's plate had rested. Once their trash was disposed of, they faced each other by the escalator.

"So, where to next?" Evie inquired cheerfully.

"Actually…" Beryl moved closer to her girlfriend, giving her a tight hug around the waist. "I'm gonna… go with Pip. And shop. Um, for… stuff. Okay?"

The Cat Faunus grinned down at the nervous girl. "Sure thing, sweetie." She bent over and placed a tender, warm kiss on the blue-haired girl's lips. "You two have fun, then!"

Exchanging cheerful goodbyes, the team split into two pairs. Lustre and Evie headed up the escalator, the silver-haired girl taking the lead.

"Got anywhere in mind?" Evie asked curiously.

"I was hoping you wouldn't mind visiting the bookstore here?" Lustre replied somewhat shyly. "It used to be my favorite hangout. They all knew my name."

"Our little book nerd," the raven-haired girl sighed affectionately, wrapping her arm around the other's shoulder. "Some have bars where everyone knows their name, you have bookstores."

"I had a quite adequate childhood," Lustre protested. "I… did not need that many friends. Books were perfectly acceptable substitutes."

"Yes, sweetie," Evie giggled as they entered the store.

Sure enough, happy cries of "Lustre!" resounded throughout the bookseller, greeting the silver-haired Mistralian native like a minor celebrity returned home.

Which, Evie supposed, she actually was.

* * *

At the other end of the mall, things were going far more… contentiously.

"No, Pip," Beryl growled.

The rangy blonde sighed, trying very hard to keep her frustration in check. "Okay, look. You've shot down all my suggestions so far. What exactly do you want here, babe?"

"I don't really know!" the diminutive girl exclaimed, throwing her hands up and narrowly avoiding knocking over a display. "I just… I want something different, but still me!"

"Right." Pip sighed, bracing herself for the inevitable escalation of conflict. "I know you don't want to hear this… but what you wear now is for little girls."

"That's because I have the body of a Dust-damned twelve-year-old," Beryl growled yet again.

 _Must be taking lessons from Evie on how to growl effectively,_ Pip mused absentmindedly.

"But, babe, they do make lingerie in your size!"

"But all you've been showing me, well… shows off too much of me!"

Pip pinched the bridge of her nose, suppressing the urge to both scream and giggle hysterically.

She looked up as she felt a pair of small but strong arms encircle her waist.

"I'm sorry," Beryl muttered, her face downcast. "I'm being a pain in the ass, I know. And I asked you to help me, I shouldn't be so… Ugh."

"No worries," the blonde replied affectionately, returning the hug. "We'll get you sorted here. So, nothing as skimpy as I've been showing you, I guess I was thinking too much of what I like and not… Oh, hey, there's an idea…"

Beryl pulled back, her face alight with curiosity. "What's that?"

Suddenly inspired, Pip grabbed the smaller girl by the hand and dragged her through the lingerie store, her head on a swivel as she searched for…

"There!" she said with an exultant cry.

They ended up in a corner seemingly dedicated to those preferring a more tomboy look. Less lace, but undeniably feminine.

"Oh, wow," Beryl murmured. "Yeah, okay, maybe some of this stuff…"

Pip nodded determinedly. "Okay, let's pick some stuff out and try them on."

"What?" the blue-haired girl squeaked. "T- Try them on? No, oh no, that's not necessary…"

"Yes, it is," she maintained firmly. "You can't but something like this without trying it on first, all the sizes differ by manufacturer so you can't even go by that."

"Pip…"

"Woman up, babe," the blonde snickered, pulling items off of the shelf and flinging them at her teammate.

"Fine," Beryl grumbled, catching each item sent her way and furiously blushing all the while.

* * *

"Well, that was entertaining," Evie giggled as the pair left the bookstore.

"Indeed," Lustre smiled softly. "It was nice to see them all again."

"And you said you had no friends…"

"Well, I suppose I might consider some of them friends."

The Cat Faunus bumped shoulders with her friend. "So, what was that other conversation about, something with one of their siblings?"

"Oh, yes, that was regarding his older brother, a Hunter by the name of Cye. He graduated from Haven a few years ago." Lustre shot the raven-haired girl a grin. "I was merely confirming where the Hunters in Mistral prefer to, er, 'hang out' when in town."

"Mmm, nice," Evie replied, returning the grin. "So we'll go hit there tonight or tomorrow with Pip, try and get info on her mom?"

"That is the idea, yes. Though I would prefer to go tomorrow as my parents are cooking for us tonight."

"Oh, that's very sweet of them… Wait." Evie glanced aside at her friend. "Do they know we can't handle the same sort of spices you do?"

"I have informed them of such." Lustre pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Of course, their regular Mistralian fare has likely more spice in it than you are all used to…"

"Yeah, thought as much." Evie gave a little shudder and steered the pair of them over towards a drug store. "We're stocking up on antacids."

"Lightweights," Lustre sighed affectionately.

* * *

"I don't know about this, Pip," Beryl's voice came from behind the curtain.

"Lemme be the judge of that, okay? Come on, nobody's out here."

"And as soon as I open the curtain, someone will be."

The blonde chuckled to herself ruefully. _At least I got her to try some on, that's something… First Lustre, now Beryl…_ Her chuckle turned into a giggle as she bounced in her seat, happy to be able to lend those she loved some of her appreciation for fashion.

Pip knew she was a bit of a juxtaposition. Here she was, a kickass huntress-in-training who was about as poor as they came, mostly surviving on government grants and the odd bounty for killing Grimm outside of school activities. She wasn't able to afford much, but she knew what she liked, and she knew what worked. There were a few select items she'd managed to garner over the years, though usually without the opportunity to show them off.

She sobered suddenly, thinking about one particular set of lingerie she'd bought with Rufus in mind. She hadn't bothered packing it and left it boxed up back at Beacon.

_Don't dwell on that now, I'm here to help Beryl._

Giving herself a quick shake, Pip leapt to her feet and strode over to the curtained stall. "Alright then, if you don't want to come out, I'll come in."

"What?" Beryl's panicked squawk echoed throughout the changing area. "No! I mean… I'm almost naked in here!"

"Babe… You know I don't care, right? I got no interest whatsoever in girls." She tried to keep her voice calm and level. Reassuring. "Think of it as your sister helping you out. Family, right?"

There was a rather lengthy moment of silence before Beryl's resigned sigh came through. "Okay, fine."

Steeling her face into neutrality, Pip quickly slipped inside.

Beryl stood at the far end, her arms wrapped around her waist in consternation. The set she'd tried on was a brilliant cobalt blue, one that matched her hair nicely. There was absolutely no lace to be found, instead, just a solid satiny texture that covered but left enough visible to tease the imagination.

"Well, I think it looks amazing," Pip murmured with a soft smile. "Here, turn around."

Her eyes closed, Beryl complied. The briefs were cut high on her waist but still covered her enough.

"You know, you really do sell yourself short a lot of the time," the blonde stated thoughtfully. "I mean, you are really, really toned, babe."

"I… I am?"

"Seriously. I mean, I get you don't like not having curves, but what you _do_ have? You can make it work."

Beryl let out an irritated huff of air. "But what about these knobby knees, and my shoulders, and-"

"Nope, not as bad as you think, really. And besides, you ever hear Evie complain?"

Pip waited patiently while her friend chewed on her bottom lip. "No," she eventually admitted quietly.

"Right. Look, I know for a fact she's head over heels for you, _all_ of you." The blonde reached out and tipped Beryl's face up so that she could see the sincerity in her coral eyes. "You have nothing to worry about. If you wear that pair, she will be stunned. Guaranteed."

"Yeah?" she asked, her light bronze eyes hopeful.

"Oh, yeah." Pip gave her a wink. "You try on the pajamas yet?"

"No…"

"Okay, give those a try, I really wanna see how they look, and the other stuff as well."

With a final grin, Pip slipped back outside and resumed her perch on the cushioned chair.

"Oh, hey, I meant to ask you," the blonde interjected after a moment. "What kind of budget do you have?"

"Ah, well, about that… I kinda let my mom know I wanted to, um… upgrade my clothes. Did that before we left Beacon. I swear to Oum, Pip, her squealing almost broke my eardrums…" Beryl's voice was momentarily muffled as she slipped something over her head. "Anyways, she went a little nuts putting lien in my account. So we're good."

"Wow, nice," Pip chuckled. "Did you mention it was with your girlfriend in mind?"

"Yeah, I think that's why she went a little nuts… made me promise to bring her by before the summer ends…"

The blonde nodded, her smile turning somewhat pensive. "You know… I really do appreciate you guys putting your entire summer on hold for me. I hope we figure things out quickly enough so you can still go home."

The curtain rustled as Beryl poked her blue-maned head out. "Even if we don't, it's fine, Pip. You know this isn't a big deal, we're more than happy to help, no matter how long it takes."

Pip gave her a wide smile. "Thanks, babe," she whispered.

"That's what family is for," she smirked in reply. "Okay, so… You wanna see?"

"Absolutely," Pip declared, jumping back up and slipping inside once more.

The outfit she'd found was a chocolate brown, which was one of Beryl's favorite colors to wear. Unlike her previous baggy pajamas, this set consisted of a form-fitting tank top that left a little bit of her midriff bare, along with a pair of boy shorts that hugged her nicely.

"Damn," Pip chuckled. "Swear to Oum, Evie's gonna owe me big-time…"

"Does it really look okay?" the blue-haired girl asked, turning in place while she looked at herself in the mirror. "I mean… it's really hugging my backside. Not that I really have one…"

"That's the thing, though, it's making you look like you got hella ass back there."

"Really, Pip?"

"Hey, I call 'em as I see 'em."

"Please stop looking at my ass."

The blonde giggled merrily. "Betcha won't be telling Evie that…"

"Pip…" Beryl growled warningly.

"Okay, okay!" Pip laughed, backing out of the changing room. "Definitely add that to the 'buy' pile. I'll go look for some more in that size, you got any color preference?"

"Ummm… How about a dark blue and a black, maybe a white… I dunno, you know what colors look good on me."

"I'm on it!" she called out over her shoulder as she skipped away.

_Best. Shopping trip. Ever._

She could hardly think of a better way to spend a day than doing something like this for Beryl, helping the socially-anxious girl break out of her shell a little more and bring her closer to her own partner.

In any case, it certainly pushed aside any pangs of loss that might crop up from missing Rufus.

* * *

Once the four girls converged together again, they exited the mall, chatting happily about their experience so far, though both Beryl and Pip kept quiet about where they'd been. As they walked down the street, they failed to notice a slim, unassuming man who trailed in their wake, talking quietly into a hands-free unit connected to his scroll.

"Looks like they're heading back to the one girl's house now," he murmured

"Any direct contact?"

"No, none."

The voice over his headset sighed irritably. "This is just too coincidental… Huntresses of their caliber showing up, beating the crap outta some of our boys, and then shopping without a care in the world…"

"You want for me to keep on 'em?"

"No, I'll send Marko over to stake the house out. Come back when he relieves you, then you tail 'em tomorrow, see what they're looking into…"

"You got it, boss."

After the connection ended, the man on the other end of the call sat back in his chair, tapping his scarred fingers on his desk thoughtfully.

"And if you little girls think you can mess with my operation… Well, then, we can give you a nice, big, Mistralian send-off… permanently…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work it Beryl, work it… So the Scaredy Cat ship is still sailing strong. Things are sure to heat up a little more over the summer break. Not so much development with Pip's mom just yet, but things will get a little more interesting next chapter. Along with these new players, there to throw a curveball into their plans.
> 
> Just as an aside, I had a hell of a time writing this chapter. I hope it doesn't come off as disjointed as it felt to write, I just couldn't seem to organize myself in putting it together, nothing seemed to flow right for me, until finally I got them separated and off towards their individual stores. Weird. Well, it's done now, and hopefully the next chapter will flow more smoothly. Honestly, I was thinking I'd have to wait another week to put this out, as much trouble as it was giving me.


	30. Threats

**Volume 3  
**

Downtown Mistral

"This," Beryl declared wearily, "has been a colossal waste of our day."

Not for the first time, the diminutive blue-haired girl wished that her normal combat outfit was less… covering. It was a bit of a switch for the normally shy and reticent girl, as her baggy brown tee shirt and leggings that she wore under her cobalt-blue armor were normally more than adequate to cover up her knobby knees and generally boyish figure. Two things served to temper that notion, however.

Firstly, her Faunus girlfriend seemed to be accepting of her physicality, wholly and without reservation. It did a lot for her confidence when she first wore her new, rather skimpy in her opinion, sleepwear. The glow in Evie's sapphire blue eyes spoke of nothing but desire and honestly made her feel more loved than any mere words.

And then secondly, there was the city through which they now traversed, firmly in the grasp of summer weather. Hot, sticky, damp, humid, torturous… She'd made a bit of a game of it, coming up with new adjectives to associate with her sweltering misery.

The four members of Team PERL had set out early enough in the day that the weather hadn't yet reached its peak, and so she hadn't minded too much. But now that Beryl was absolutely soaked through and through under her armor, well…

Yep. She was miserable.

"It has not been all that much of a waste," Lustre spoke up softly as they strolled along the boulevard in downtown Mistral, sheltered by the dubious shade offered from the towering structures on either side. The dark-skinned Mistralian native had foregone her usual white jacket that bore her emblem, instead merely settling for her white shorts and light blue tank top. Of the four of them, she seemed best suited for the weather, striding along with her staff in hand.

 _Figures,_ Beryl grumbled internally, though unable to get overly upset with her partner.

"True enough," Evie conceded from where she walked next to Beryl. The Cat Faunus seemed to be handling the humidity a little better today, even in her black leggings and crop top. Her tail swished behind her as the furry ears atop her head swiveled around at each noise coming from around them. She did not, however, offer to hold Beryl's sweaty hand.

Once again, the diminutive shield-bearer couldn't really blame her.

"Yeah, I mean, any lead that doesn't pan out, it's just another thing we don't need to bother with, right?" Pip offered cheerfully. "Gives us more time to track down _good_ leads!"

Beryl glared daggers at the back of her team leader. Pip, on the other hand, was ably deserving of her ire. Ever since she'd been infused with red dust, heat simply didn't affect her.

"Be nice," Evie murmured, breaking into her thoughts before she could delve too deeply into decidedly uncomplimentary thoughts about the tall blonde.

Beryl blushed lightly as she ducked her head. She knew it was unfair to even think of Pip in such a way, the rangy girl certainly hadn't asked for such a dubious gift. Had almost died from it, in fact, and she'd definitely undergone her fair share of strife to get to the point where she could even control her abilities and not self-combust.

In any case, the girl in front of her, who she regarded fondly as her big sister, was undeserving of such dark thoughts.

She was just so Dust-damned _sweaty_.

Beryl shook her head, damp bangs of cobalt blue plastering across her forehead. "So, where to next?" she asked with subdued and patently false cheer.

Her girlfriend gave a soft sigh next to her, shooting her a wry grin and a wink at the attempt. Beryl just shrugged her bony shoulders, unable to really muster up more of an effort.

"Well, there's this one marketplace up ahead, on the seedier side of town," Pip began. She spun around to continue to walk backward, her long blonde ponytail catching on the hilt of the greatsword sheathed across her back. "Hey, babe, exactly how seedy is 'seedy' hereabouts?"

Lustre pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I would not say they are at the seediness level of Vacuo," she answered. "But perhaps a bit more so than in Vale."

"Excellent!" the team leader cheered, spinning back around once more to resume walking normally.

"Yeah, we're gonna get in a fight before the day's over with, aren't we?" Beryl grumbled.

"Knowing our fearless leader?" Evie smirked. "I have no doubt."

"So anyways," Pip continued, "in this marketplace, they got some folk who hire out for some, um… unsavory jobs, y'know? Might be a chance of one of 'em hearing about… Jewel."

The blonde voice softened slightly at the mention of her mother's name. That was the entire reason they were in Mistral, after all, to track down some trace of the mother she never knew. All they had was a name and a picture to go off of. So far, though, they hadn't had any luck with the usual Hunter hangouts. Granted most of the Hunters they came across were only recently out of Haven Academy themselves, but Beryl thought at least _someone_ would have heard of a Huntress by the name of Jewel Cerise.

Granted, Jewel was a fairly common name, all things considered. Ever since the end of the great wars so many decades ago, the people of Remnant had been naming their children with colors in mind. Various jewels were immensely popular, especially in their parent's generation.

"So, we are to simply ask around?" Lustre inquired in her lightly accented voice. "Or do you have a particular merchant in mind?"

"I got the name of a stall," Pip replied with confidence. " _Shady Trader_. Don't know the guy's name, though."

" _Shady Trader_?" Beryl asked skeptically. "Really? That doesn't sound, um…"

"Dodgy?" Evie offered.

"Yeah, that works. That doesn't sound dodgy at all?"

"Sketchy would work too."

"Yep, I was thinking more like dubious."

"Hmm, nice one. How about shifty?"

"I like it."

Pip let out an amused sigh. "You two comedians done?"

"Dunno," Evie smirked at her partner. "I think there's some room in here to make fun of you still…"

The blonde snorted a laugh. "Yeah, yeah…"

"Before we continue on," Lustre interjected. "May we stop at the cafe ahead? There is a particular Mistralian beverage I believe the three of you might enjoy."

"Is it air conditioned?" Beryl asked hopefully.

"It is, yes."

"Yes!" both Beryl and Evie cheered as one, giving each other a wide grin.

"Fine, yeah," their blonde team leader chuckled. "This one here?"

"It should suffice, yes," their silver-haired host proclaimed. "And the marketplace should be the next block over."

"We're not gonna run into any unsavory types in here, are we?" Pip asked humorously as they entered the mercifully cool shop. "I mean, this is supposed to be seedy and all…"

"No, it should be fine." Lustre pointed the other three to a table near the window and proceeded towards the counter. She returned soon thereafter, Beryl having cooled off enough to hold Evie's hand once more. Four large covered cups were in the tray that she carried.

She wordlessly passed them out, taking care to note the markings on the side of each. "There we go. Enjoy."

"Um, and what is this, exactly?" Evie asked skeptically as she eyed the container in front of her.

"I am dismayed that you do not trust me, dear," Lustre replied with a humorous twinkle in her pale blue diamond eyes. "These are iced coffees."

"Iced…?" Beryl's smile grew wide as she eagerly took a sip of her beverage. "Ohhhh, this is nice…"

"Oh, yeah," Evie murmured, her tail swishing happily behind her. "Very nice."

"Aww, and you even made it the way I like it," Pip grinned. "Thanks, babe!"

"Of course," Lustre replied with an answering smile. "Consider it an apology for the dreadful weather. Honestly, I do not recall a summer in recent memory that was this unpleasant."

"Must've been expecting us," Beryl laughed.

"So what did you get?" Evie asked after taking another grateful sip. "I know you don't drink coffee."

"No, this is an Iced Chai tea, quite pleasant." Lustre smiled once more. "If a tad strong."

"Well, it wouldn't be you if it weren't," Pip snickered. "So, we gonna talk about our tail?"

Lustre nodded solemnly. "I concluded this would be as opportune a time as any."

"Yeah, she can't really follow us in here without our noticing," Evie agreed.

Beryl blinked her bronze eyes uncertainly. "Um… what, now? A tail?"

"Yep," Pip sighed, stretching her long limbs out. "Picked her up after the last stop at that bar. Dunno how she can think she's all that stealthy, bright red hair and about as tall as me."

"Yes, the gold armor tends to stand out as well," Lustre murmured.

The compact blue-haired girl shook her head. "I swear, I have the situational awareness of a sloth sometimes," she grumbled.

"Don't be like that, sweetie," her raven-haired girlfriend giggled, leaning over to plant a soft kiss on her cheek. "Your element is the battlefield, not skulking about."

"Is that what we're doing? Skulking?"

"Well, it's what our tail is trying to do. We're just acting oblivious about it."

"Then I'm happy to help, seeing how I really _am_ oblivious."

"So, then," Lustre interjected. "Do we confront her?"

"Nah, let her make the first move." Pip downed the last of her drink and let out a small but happy belch. "Oum, that was good. Ready to head out?"

"But Pip," Beryl whined quietly. "It's _nice_ in here…"

The blonde chuckled, giving the shorter girl's hair a ruffle. "C'mon, you."

"Fine…" She stood, gulping down the last of her unexpectedly tasty drink and tossing it into the trash on the way out. Now that she knew what to look for, she immediately spied the tall redhead across the street, supposedly window-shopping at a men's clothing store.

"Oh my Oum," Beryl snorted behind her hand. "She really is bad at this, huh?"

The other girl's armor was indeed gold and shining brightly in the sunlight, tempered with blue accents along the edges. A bright blue skirt separated the metal corset chestpiece from her golden armored boots that came up past her knees. She wore a small golden buckler on one forearm and had what looked to be a short spear across her back.

As they exited the cafe, Beryl took once last surreptitious glance at their obvious shadow before moving along. If she had to guess, the girl looked to be perhaps a few years older than them, in her early twenties or so.

"She doesn't look like a bad guy," Beryl murmured thoughtfully.

"No, if anything, I would presume her to be a Huntress by her garb," Lustre agreed. "But her behavior is suspicious."

"How so, though?" Beryl protested as they entered the sprawling open-air marketplace. Crowds bustled about under the awning that stretched across an entire city block, two stories above their heads and offering a decent amount of shade.

"What do you mean?" Evie asked, her brows furrowed. "She's following us!"

The diminutive shield-bearer chewed on her bottom lip. "Um, okay, but… I mean, aren't _we_ acting suspicious, asking all these questions? We never really identified ourselves as students or Huntresses or anything…"

"That's because we're not here officially," Pip replied, though her own words were slow and thoughtful as she pondered what Beryl had said.

"Yes, but she has a point," Lustre said with a rueful smile. "She may very well be a Huntress investigating our odd behavior. And here we are, leading her towards an unsavory shopkeeper."

"Oh." Pip stopped and smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. "I'm such a godsdamned idiot… Yeah, okay, new plan. Let's talk to the Huntress."

"Aye aye, oh fearless leader," Evie quipped.

"Oh, shut it, you," her partner snarked back.

The four of them paused and spread out, looking as unthreatening as possible. Well, as unthreatening as four heavily-armed and -armored Huntresses-in-training could be.

Pip had a wide smile on her face as she spied the redheaded woman duck through the crowd. The golden-armored warrior came to a halt, a look of perplexion on her face as she saw her quarries waiting for her.

"Hi, there!" Pip called out cheerfully. "Um, so, can we talk?"

The other girl nodded warily as she approached. Her right hand twitched as if she was contemplating arming herself with the short spear still on her back, but she stepped forward instead with a hesitant smile. "Yeah, sure," she replied with a light and cheerful voice. "I'm Merri."

"Pip," the blonde greeted her with another smile. "This is my team, Evie, Beryl, and Lustre."

"Team?" the redhead asked, her smile widening slightly.

"Yep, we just finished our second year at Beacon."

"Oh my Oum, that's awesome!" Merri cheered, her face now alight as she came closer. "I was _seriously_ thinking about calling for backup, I mean, yeah I'm good and all, but you guys looked like you got some _serious_ mojo going on here! I just graduated from Haven last year!"

Beryl blinked her eyes at the suddenly bubbly and enthusiastic girl. Something was tickling the back of her mind about the newcomer, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

"So what are you guys doing in Mistral?" Merri continued brightly.

"Oh, well Lustre is originally from here," Pip explained, her smile growing in the face of the enthusiastic girl. "And we came home with her. I'm actually trying to track down my mom. Well, hopefully, it's my mom, I mean, I never knew her, but that's what I was lead to believe."

"That's _sooo_ cool!" the redhead chirped, flinging her long braid back over her shoulder. "Can I help you guys, maybe?"

Pip opened her mouth to reply, but she was forestalled by the warning hand that her partner placed on her arm.

"We've got trouble," Evie warned quietly.

By now all five of them were looking about in alarm as patrons of the marketplace were streaming hurriedly away from them, leaving them alone in the center of the stalls. All around them appeared rather menacing-looking figures, armed with a variety of ranged and melee weaponry. Some were rudimentarily armored, but the majority wore paramilitary garb in urban shades.

"Oh, great," Merri sighed. "Dragons."

"Sorry?" Pip prompted, a dangerous glint in her pale coral eyes. "Dragons?"

"Black Dragons, one of the prominent criminal gangs in Mistral. They have their own private army."

"Yes, I believe we can determine that much," Lustre replied dryly. "Friends of yours?"

"Only in that I keep beating them up," the redhead smirked. Merri's bright blue eyes twinkled as she turned to the other four girls. "So, would you guys be up for a not-so-friendly brawl by any chance?"

Pip gave an answering smirk of her own. "Babe, you just said the magic word. I'm _always_ up for a brawl."

Beryl's mouth opened in shock as the glanced between the two girls, but before she could articulate her sudden realization, a rough and angry voice echoed across the marketplace.

"Knew you bitches were up to no good!" A burly man strode through the encircling gang members, stopping just in front of them. He crossed his arms, the bulging muscles preventing his hands from going past his elbows. "Poking your nose around my business, and now you hook up with this other troublesome little bitch. You think I wouldn't notice, huh? You think The Black Dragon himself wouldn't be paying attention?"

"Oookaaayyy," Pip drawled. "I'm lost, here."

"Um, yeah, Mr. Dragon, sir?" Evie spoke up hesitantly. "We have no idea who you are, really. And we haven't been asking about you. 'Cause, you know… we don't know you."

"Right," the man barked, shaking his head in amusement. "Boys, get 'em."

"Well, so much for diplomacy," Beryl muttered, slipping her shield around and twirling _Shashka_ in her hand. The sword quickly changed over into its carbine form. "Pip, orders?"

"Watch each other's backs," the blonde replied, drawing _Odachi Dahlia_ with an eager grin. "And try not to die."

"We have _so_ got to work on a better battle cry," Lustre sighed. _Winter Contus_ twirled in her hands, and the silver-haired girl bore a small but anticipatory grin on her face.

"Well, how about one of our favorites?" Evie smirked, crouching with her scimitar _Dao_ in hand and her tail swishing eagerly.

The blue-haired girl laughed lightly, knowing exactly what her girlfriend was referring to. She hoisted her carbine over her head and let out a fierce shout.

"Come get some, bitches!"

And with that, the battle was joined.

It was, as Beryl reflected while deflecting numerous incoming rounds with _Dahl_ , quite a bit different from fighting packs of Grimm, or even the structured tournament combat of the Vytal festival. This was a confused melee of flying bodies and wild attacks. Their opponents had some veneer of professionalism and skill, but it couldn't stand up against the five academy-trained girls.

At one point, Beryl found herself back-to-back with the tall redhead, who used her small buckler in much the same way that the blue-haired girl herself did, though with far more agility. Merri's short spear flashed around, spinning every so often to turn into a rifle and fire off a few rounds at those who were content to stand at the edge of the battle and pepper the combatants with ranged support. That advantage ended soon enough once Evie got in amongst them.

The Cat Faunus flashed past Beryl's vision, materializing on the shoulder of one assault-rifle-toting henchman. She flipped over his head, bringing him around so that he was hurled into a pocket of his comrades. She gave them a healthy dose of a concussive blast before blinking back off again.

As for Pip, she was like a fiery goddess, striding through her opponents with her brightly-glowing greatsword swinging. The veins in her arms were pulsing red, and each swing trailed fire as she slammed into any of the Dragons who dared to stand in her way. Lustre darted in and out from behind her, watching her teammate's back and efficiently taking down targets of opportunity.

"I gotta say," Merri laughed gaily as she sent one of their opponents flying back from where he'd tried to flank the two of them, "you guys are awesome fighters!"

"Yeah, we try," Beryl replied modestly, slamming her shield into the face of one brawler with gauntleted fists. The distinct _crunch_ of cartilage breaking was clearly audible over the sounds of battle. "Did well enough at Vytal this year."

"No way, you guys made it into the Vytal Tournament? Um, duck." The redhead swung her spear in a tight circle, felling two henchmen on either side of them. "Oh, I wished I could've seen it this year, but I was out in the field! Ugh, that sucks, I bet you guys were fantastic!"

"Made it to the final round," Beryl agreed. She fired her carbine at the legs of a sword-wielder that was rushing at Pip, dropping him to the ground while howling in pain.

"Sweet!" the redhead cheered. She took down one opponent with a bash of her buckler, followed up with a solid strike of her spear. Another pair darted in towards the duo, but Merri gestured curtly towards them. The ground beneath their feet seemed to surge upwards, sending the henchmen flying off to the side.

_Huh, neat, looks like she has an earth-based semblance of some sort?_

The whole affair was over with in less time than was expected. Many of the Black Dragons, including the titular head, had fled when it became evident that these were no ordinary prey. There were a number of bodies lying on the ground, some motionless and some groaning in pain.

"Any fatalities?" Merry asked breathlessly as she strode through the area, her bright blue eyes scanning the ground.

"I don't think so…" Pip mused.

"At least two," Evie spoke up solemnly. "I didn't realize their aura would be so weak… I stopped using Dust when I saw that I'd broken the necks of two of them."

Merri smiled softly as she gave the Cat Faunus a nod. "It happens, though we work very hard to avoid such. Nobody would blame you, though."

"I know." The raven-haired girl accepted a hug from Beryl, sighing heavily. "Doesn't make it any easier to stomach, though."

"Better them than us," the blue-haired girl murmured.

"Yeah," Evie whispered, pressing a firm kiss on the top of her head. "Definitely."

They looked up at the sound of a sharp _crack_. Lustre stood, practically bristling with irritation, over the prone form of one of their opponents.

"Um, Lustre? You okay, babe?" Pip asked hesitantly.

"Fine," the silver-haired girl bit out. "Perfectly fine. Why is it, do you suppose, that a person would feel compelled to actively _flirt_ with me after they had just gotten their… ass handed to them?"

"Damn," Beryl grinned at her partner. "You _must_ be riled up to actually cuss."

Lustre let out a huff, slipping her staff over her shoulder. "I simply do not understand what possesses a person to behave so."

"It's a pain in the ass," Merri agreed with a nod and a grin. "Can't count the number of guys that tried to pick me up right after I arrested them."

"And after I defeat them in combat!"

"Yep, I don't get it either."

Lustre sighed heavily. "I do not understand it at all, any variation of it at any point in time. Do I truly require a sign to wear around?"

The redhead laughed heartily. "Oh, Oum, yeah I've thought that a few times myself. Maybe just a tee shirt when I'm out of armor, that says, _Not Interested_ …"

"... _And Never Will Be_ ," Lustre added, a grin starting to creep across her face as her earlier irritation was eased.

Merri held up a hand towards Lustre. "Solidarity, sister!"

"Indeed," the dusky-skinned girl agreed with a chuckle, returning the high-five.

"Gods, there's two of them now," Pip sighed good-naturedly as the happily chatting pair walked around the perimeter, dragging unconscious forms back into the middle of the clearing.

Soon enough there was a bustle of activity as the Mistralian law enforcement arrived. The four members of Team PERL were eyed with considerable mistrust, even with their Beacon documentation that allowed them to remain armed within the limits of a city, but Merri's assurances went a long way towards creating acceptance. She cheerfully explained to the officers in charge how the four girls were under her supervision, assisting her in the apprehension of the dangerous criminals.

"Does this make us, like, Deputy Huntresses now?" Beryl asked humorously.

Evie giggled lightly, bumping her with her shoulder from where they sat against a stall selling textiles. "I don't think you get a badge or anything."

"Yet another preview of what lies ahead of us," Lustre mused thoughtfully from the other side of Beryl. "It will not always be the fighting of Grimm."

"Well, we kinda get a choice, though, right?" Evie asked with a trace of concern. "I mean, I enjoy fighting Grimm and all, but this… Don't get me wrong, I'm more or less okay with having… killed two of them, but…"

"It's not what we signed up for," Beryl agreed quietly. "And yeah, I'd think we would have some choice in what we do. Unless we attach ourselves to an organization, like the Specialists in Atlas."

"Precisely," Lustre said softly.

Beryl eyed where Pip and Merri stood near the officers in charge of the scene, reciting their depositions yet again. She was again reminded forcibly of her earlier epiphany and cleared her throat before finally voicing her thoughts.

"So, either of you notice anything about our fearless leader and our new friend?" the cobalt-haired girl asked casually.

Evie's Faunus ears twitched as her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, similarities."

"Well," her girlfriend began slowly, "they're about the same height, almost the same build though Merri is more willowy, still muscular but not as much as Pip… Um, both have long hair, kinda the same texture, maybe? But different colors, different eye color… and…"

She trailed off as the pair turned in their direction to face another of the officers as he presented further question for them to answer. Beryl nodded slowly as she could practically see it dawn upon both of teammates what she herself had seen.

"Oh my Oum," Evie breathed.

"They have the same face," Lustre murmured. "Same nose, same eye shape, same bone structure…"

"So it's not just me, right?" Beryl asked with a small grin. "They look like they're related."

"Holy fucking Grimm balls," Evie sputtered suddenly. "We gotta tell 'em…"

"Hold up, now," Beryl laughed, pulling her girlfriend back down beside her. "We can do that when they finish up."

The three of them waited with barely restrained impatience as the law enforcement officials finished with the other pair. Eventually, though, they were all allowed to leave, and they unhesitatingly took advantage of this to return to the cafe they were at earlier.

While Pip and Merri stood at the counter to retrieve their drinks, Beryl grinned at the open-mouth stares that Evie and Lustre sported.

"I don't know how I didn't see it earlier," the Cat Faunus murmured. "I mean, look how they stand, even!"

"It is eerily similar," Lustre agreed. "However, I do not think you should be remiss in discrediting dear Beryl's observational skills. While she may miss things in the big picture, she is quite adept at noticing the finer details."

"Why thank you, partner," Beryl grinned.

"You are most welcome, partner," the silver-haired girl replied with a small smirk.

The others had returned by that point and passed out the iced drinks. Humorously enough, Merri seemed to enjoy Iced Chai as much as Lustre did.

"See?" the redhead stated cheerfully, hoisting her beverage cup up. "Sisters!"

"Hmm," Lustre smiled, tapping her cup against their new friend's. "Speaking of which…"

Evie and Lustre both turned to Beryl, wordlessly giving her the opportunity to reveal their suspicions as she was the first to notice.

"So, here's the thing," Beryl began quietly after taking a sip from her cup. "Pip, when you look at Merri, what do you see?"

"Um… well…" The blonde glanced over at Merri, eyebrows quirked upwards. "...Not following you here."

"Beryl, dear, we do not have all day," Lustre spoke up in amusement at the identical looks of confusion on both Pip and their redheaded companion.

"You guys look alike," the blue-haired girl stated exasperatedly. "Same hair texture, same faces."

"Huh," Pip replied intelligently, her coral eyes roaming across Merri features.

"How about that," Merri mused, her own bright blue eyes doing the same for Pip.

"Oh for…" Beryl groaned. "Okay, let's try this. Merri, does the name Jewel Cerise mean anything to you?"

The redhead blinked her eyes as she turned back towards the rest of the table. "Jewel… Wait, you mean Aunt Jewel?"

" _Aunt_ Jewel?" Pip asked, her features beginning to light up with excitement as she fumbled her scroll out. "You mean… her?" The picture showed a blonde woman who looked like Pip herself might several years down the road, though her face seemed to be far more worn and lacked the humor that was usually dancing in Pip's coral eyes. The only other major difference also concerned Jewel's somber eyes, which, Beryl noted humorously, were quite similar to Merri's in color.

"Yeah, that looks like the pictures I've seen… of… her…" Merri's eyes widened as she looked up and back into Pip's eyes. "Wait, you said you were looking for your mom, is… is that her?"

Pip nodded quickly, tears of happiness and relief building up in her eyes. "Yeah, yeah I think so," she replied in a broken whisper.

"Well, fuck me sideways with a Dust shard," Merri proclaimed solemnly. She broke out into a wide grin. "I have a cousin I never knew about."

Pip couldn't speak, her throat closed up with emotion. She could only nod as she brushed the tears away from her cheeks.

"Wow," Merri breathed. "Um, so your last name is Cerise?"

"Yep, she's Pippin Cerise," Beryl interjected for her momentarily speechless team leader.

"Wow," the redhead said once more. "Well, I'm Merri Arc. Um… welcome to the family!"

With that the two embraced tightly, the both of them shedding tears of quiet happiness.

"How about that," Beryl murmured, a wide smile on her face. "Guess sometimes we can actually get some good luck for a change, huh?"

"Merri," her Cat Faunus girlfriend broke in softly. "Is Jewel here, in Mistral?"

"Oh, sorry, no," the redhead murmured, pulling back but keeping her arms around her newfound cousin. "We lost track of her years and years ago, I don't even know all of her story. You'd have to talk to my parents about that."

"Right," Pip stated softly after clearing her throat. "Um, can we do that? I mean, like, today? I'd love to meet your… I mean, our… family."

"You bet," Merri grinned. "Soon as we finish our drinks, let's go visit mom and dad, they're just across town, and I'm pretty sure Aunt Jilly is visiting too." She rolled her eyes humorously as she took another gulp of her beverage. "They keep bugging me to visit anyways, and this'll be an awesome surprise!"

The five of them were striding down the walkway soon enough, spirits lifted high.

Beryl was grinning widely as she held hands with her Faunus girlfriend, not even noticing the damp heat overly.

 _One more step closer to Pip reuniting with her mom,_ she thought happily to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I'm not gonna make any note of the hints I left here, I'm sure you all can pick them up on your own. You'll just have to wait for the next chapter for confirmation.


	31. Family

**Volume 3  
**

Downtown Mistral  
Arc Residence

Lustre was feeling uncharacteristically anxious for her team leader. Pip was still all smiles, chatting away happily with her newfound cousin, Merri, but it was a brittle thing that covered up the blonde's nervousness. From the shared glances between her other teammates, she knew it was just as obvious to Beryl and Evie as well. They were a family unit, the four of them, and knew each other well enough by now to spot such things.

It wasn't terribly difficult to track down the reason for such apprehension. Besides the fact that Pip had just learned she had an extended family right there in Mistral, she finally came across someone who knew her mother. Someone who could tell her what happened to her when she was a baby, and how she ended up in an orphanage.

How it was that she ended up alone all those many years ago.

But over all of that was the certain fear that this new family wouldn't accept her, either because she'd not been part of it for so long or because of who she was, somehow not matching the expectations for membership, so to speak. Lustre knew none of it was valid, not if this family produced someone as vibrant and cheerful as Merri, but such thoughts were sure to be plaguing her friend anyway.

She'd been considering pulling the blonde aside, but then they were walking down the street where Merri's home was situated. It was near the docks in the more expensive district, the cool breeze coming off of the ocean dispelling much of the heat and humidity they'd been enduring ever since they'd arrived in Mistral. Berl gave a soft, contented sigh, her small frame relaxing somewhat now that it wasn't constantly sweating.

"I know, right?" Merri laughed over her shoulder. She turned and began to walk backwards, giving them all a wide, energetic grin. "Dust, I'm so glad mom and dad have this place now! And then they complain about me not wanting to get a place of my own!"

She shared another laugh with the others before she turned once more, slinging her arm around her cousin's waist. "So, Pip… not nervous, right? I mean, it's totally gonna be fine, I swear it."

"Nah, not at all," the blonde replied in a boldfaced lie. "Completely relaxed." She shot a glare over her shoulder at the coughed "Grimmshit!" that came from her three teammates.

The tall redheaded Huntress giggled, squeezing Pip's side before halting in front of a wide, four-story townhouse. It was situated on the end and facing the ocean, ensuring both a lovely view and a constant breeze.

"Wow," Evie breathed, her Faunus ears twitching. "Um, what is it your parents do to afford something like this?"

Lustre nodded in agreement. _The housing costs are prohibitive enough in this district, but for such a prime spot I cannot imagine what the price tag might be…_

"Well, dad's the Captain of the police force in Mistral," Merri replied nonchalantly. "Oh, and mom is the Headmistress of Haven."

"Oh," Pip gulped. "Um, cool…"

"Relax," Merri giggled, opening the door and dragging the blonde in by the hand. Once the five of them were inside the foyer and the door closed, the redhead cupped her hands around her mouth. "Mom! Dad! We have company!"

"Everyone is in here, Merri!" an unfamiliar woman's voice called out. When she heard it, though, Merri's face lit up with joy.

"Aunt Jilly!"

She tore around the corner, leaving the other bemused quartet to follow her trail. They ended up in a nice-sized living room with plenty of couches and chairs, obviously meant for entertaining people as there was no vid player or screen in sight. Merri was hugging another older woman who had chin-length blonde hair and both the stature and garb of another Huntress.

"So who is it you brought home, Merri?" the other woman was asking. The redheaded girl separated and swept her hand out with a flourish to wordlessly indicate the others, Pip right out in front.

The blonde Huntress stared at the lanky girl with an open mouth, her eyes wide and unbelieving.

"Merri, is it really necessary to come in… like… a…"

A tall and broad shouldered man entered the room, wiping his hands off on a dishtowel that suddenly fell to the floor. The blond man, wearing sweatpants and a baggy tee shirt, gaped as well.

"Dad, Aunt Jilly," Merri began with a twinkle in her eyes. "This is Pippin Cerise."

"That's not… This can't be possible," Jilly breathed, sinking into the couch behind her.

"I think this is pretty damn conclusive otherwise, Jilly-bean," the man murmured, now gripping the back of a chair for support.

Jilly shot back to her feet and quickly walked over to stop within a foot of the fidgeting blonde girl.

"Um, hi?" Pip said hesitantly.

"Oh my Oum," the other woman sighed. "You truly are her… After all this time, thinking you were dead… Oh, where are my manners? My name is Jillian, Jillian Arc. I'm… I'm your Aunt Jilly."

"It's a pleasure," she murmured tearfully. "I'm Pip."

"Yes, yes you are," the woman sobbed, pulling her into a tight hug.

The man was still standing there, stunned, before he turned his head slightly. "Dear, you should _really_ get in here."

"What is it Jaune, I've got-" And then there was a statuesque woman standing there with long red hair, tied back into a ponytail. Her crimson locks were silvered somewhat from age, but there was no denying exactly who this person was, and seeing her standing in shock next to her husband left little doubt in the Beacon student's mind.

"Holy hairy Grimm balls, Pip!" Beryl suddenly squealed. "Your Aunt and Uncle are Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc!?"

"Pyrrha Nikos-Arc," the older redhead murmured absentmindedly. "Merri, what… Who…?"

"This is Pippin Cerise, mom," Merri replied, still grinning like a loon. "Aunt Jewel's daughter."

"But how is this possible?" Pyrrha asked.

"I think…" Jaune began, shifting around the chair he'd been holding onto like a lifeline. "Perhaps we should all sit down and talk some, yeah?"

"Not yet," the tall redheaded woman stated firmly. She strode over towards Pip while Jilly moved back to resume her seat on the couch. Pyrrha rested her hands on Pip's shoulders, peering intently into her face. "You are so much like your mother," she whispered before enfolding the blonde into a hug. "Welcome to the family, Pippin."

"Um, thanks… uh… Aunt Pyrrha," she murmured. "And it's just Pip, really."

"Very well, Pip," Pyrrha sniffled as she withdrew. "This is just so very grand. Come, please sit, and introduce us to your friends as well… We have so much to discuss."

* * *

Pip introduced her teammates first and then filled in what little she knew about her origins and her search for the mother she never knew she still had up until a couple of weeks ago. Lustre settled back in the couch where Beryl was nestled in between her and Evie, all of them holding sweetened iced teas. Pip had been dragged down by Merri to sit in the middle, with Jilly on the other side. Jaune and Pyrrha were ensconced in chairs across from the blonde, listening intently to her recitation.

"Well, then," Jaune murmured, scratching at his rough blond beard. His other hand was clasped within his wife's, and they gave each other a squeeze before he let go and levered himself up. "I suppose, Pip, it'd be best to start from the beginning, let you know some about your mother… and what little we know about the circumstances surrounding, well… your disappearance."

The blond retired Hunter pulled a framed photo off of the shelf and held it momentarily before giving it to Pip. The blonde gratefully accepted it from her uncle, rubbing her finger over it before passing it along to the others.

"Jewel was one of the younger of my sisters. I have seven of them, by the way." He shot the surprised Pip a wide grin. "Believe me, family reunions are quite the event. I can't wait to see you at the next one."

Pyrrha cleared her throat gently. "Jaune, dear, you're rambling."

Her husband chuckled self-consciously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I tend to do that…"

Lustre took a look at the framed photo as it went by. It showed the familiar face of Jewel Cerise, but somewhat older than the copy that Pip had, perhaps from when she was around thirty or so. The silver-haired girl frowned momentarily, doing the math of what Jaune had mentioned earlier regarding the age differences… That should put Jewel at about forty-four now, and both Jaune and Pyrrha at fifty-eight.

The primary change with this photo was the addition of a single long scar that ran from her right temple all the way down to the base of her jaw. It looked to be fairly well healed in the picture.

The other change Lustre noted was Jewel's expression which was even more devoid of any joy.

"Our family was originally from Mistral," Jaune was saying. "We moved to Vale before I started school."

"Not Signal, though," Evie spoke up somewhat mischievously.

"No, not Signal," Jaune replied with a quick bark of laughter. "I see they left that in the histories, eh? Well, in any case, when it came time for Jewel to attend a combat academy, as was her intention, she chose to return to Mistral and go to Haven."

"And there she met Allen," Pyrrha murmured with a reminiscent smile.

Pip sat up a little straighter. "Allen?" she breathed.

The redhead nodded warmly. "Allen Cerise, your father, was a good man. Also in training to be a Hunter but on another team, if I recall correctly. They fell in love and married right after they graduated… Jaune, where is the album from their wedding?"

"Not quite sure," the blond man sighed as he perused the bookshelf. "We might have put it away…"

"Well, now that circumstances have… changed…" Pyrrha gave her niece a brilliant smile, emerald green eyes shining with emotion. "We shall have to find them. In any case, they remained here in Mistral for when she became pregnant the first time, just after they became official Hunters."

"Pardon me," Lustre broke in, leaning forward. "That would have made Jewel twenty-two, correct? Which would have been another twenty-two years ago?"

"Yes, that's correct," Pyrrha replied, smiling at the sight of Pip's eyes widening at the revelation. "Jaune and I had moved back to Mistral by that point, and we were pregnant together, myself with Merri…" She gave her oldest daughter a warm look. "...And Jewel with your older sister, Glory."

"Oh…" Pip breathed. "So… I have a sister?"

"Perhaps," Jaune cautioned. "Jewel left Mistral with Allen and Glory shortly after she was born to return to Vale, and that's where things become… a bit murkier."

Lustre glanced between the Arc relatives, the shared blonde hair and features of Jilly, Jaune, Pip, and in the picture of Jewel. Truly the major difference was the light coral of her team leader's eyes, which might just be attributable to Allen Cerise, her father. It was interesting how the sapphire blue eyes were dominant otherwise, even with Merri.

Jaune took a long drink from his tea, setting it back and savoring the taste. "We lost touch with Jewel when she got to Vale, things going on with both of our families… I'm not even sure where in Vale they were, only that it was an outlying village. You were born, Pippin, and we were all making a point of coming out… to visit over the summer, when Pyr wouldn't be teaching…" He sighed morosely. "And then it all went to hell."

His blue eyes were riveted on the floor, and it seemed to be a monumental effort for him to continue, but his wife was willing to pick up the tale for him.

"It was only a couple months after your birth, Pip," Pyrrha resumed softly, her emerald eyes warm and caring. "Allen convinced your mother to take a quick job, get back out into the field since she'd been caring for the both you and your sister while he brought in the lien for the family…" She swallowed at the memory. Lustre winced in sympathy, knowing the pain of some events didn't lose their strength significantly over time.

"While she was gone, your village was overrun by Grimm," the older redheaded woman whispered. "Allen… Your father's body was found, but there were so many others that couldn't be… identified… Especially the children…"

Jilly spoke up in a somber voice. "Jewel… All of us, we thought her entire family was killed. She was never the same after that, blaming herself for your deaths, alternating between thinking she should have died in your steads, to wondering if she could have made a difference and saved even one of you."

"She's been overly reckless ever since," Jaune said, his voice hoarse. "Oum, how she's been beating herself up all these years…"

"Um… can I ask…?" Pip spoke up, her own voice raw with emotion. "Where's my mom now?"

Jaune sighed and exchanged a look with his sister. "We don't know," he shrugged. "It's been a few years, but that's typical. She goes off into the wilderness, tries to kill as many Grimm as she can and, in her head, hopefully get herself killed as well. But she keeps popping back up, if only briefly. I just don't know where she's gotten to now…"

The blonde Beacon student nodded slowly, her coral eyes distant. "Well, this is… It's definitely more than I had before…" She cleared her throat, resting a hand on both Merri and Jilly's knees, giving them a squeeze. "Thank you all for letting me know… Um, and for accepting me…"

"Oh, sweetie," Pyrrha smiled widely. "Whyever would we not? You're family."

Pip could only nod with a wide, happy grin of her own on her face before she broke down into tears finally, the emotions of the day finally getting to her.

* * *

Lustre stood on the back deck, gazing out at the brilliant sunset as it created a kaleidoscope of scintillating colors against the calm sea. Evie and Beryl stood next to her, the smaller girl nestled against the Cat Faunus' front with her arms and tail wrapped around her. They were giving Pip some time with her newfound family alone.

"Quite the day," the silver-haired girl murmured softly.

"Yep," Beryl sighed. "That it has been."

The three of them glanced to the side to see Jaune walk through the sliding glass door, a wide smile on his face. "Hey there," he greeted them amicably. "It's getting a little, well… uncomfortable in there. The other kids have come home, you'll get to meet Joy and Marty soon enough."

The broad-shouldered man sauntered forward, leaning up against the banister and gazing out much as they had been. "Evie, was it?" he murmured.

"Um, yes, sir?" the raven-haired woman replied hesitantly.

"I'm sure you're heard this before, miss, but you quite closely resemble a very old friend of mine."

"Yes, I have heard that before," Evie murmured somberly. "Blake Belladonna."

Jaune just nodded, seemingly looking as if he was feeling the weight of his years.

Lustre cleared her throat gently. "We heard that from Ruby herself, actually."

The blond Hunter's bright blue eyes shot over to regard them intently. Lustre actually had to restrain herself from taking a step back.

"You… knew Ruby?"

"Yes, sir," Lustre continued, knowing how difficult it was, even now, for either Beryl or Evie to discuss it. "In fact, she was the chaperone for us on her last mission when she died."

The wooden railing where Jaune's hands now gripped creaked under the pressure. "Oh. I… didn't realize that." He visibly relaxed his hands, turning to look out once more, though this time the sadness in his expression was hard to miss.

"She was my very first friend at Beacon," Jaune whispered. "I'd like to think we were always best friends, outside of our teams, of course. Always there for me, lifting me up to be the best team leader I could be… Dust, if it wasn't for her, I'd never have gotten together with Pyrrha…"

The blond man sighed heavily, closing his eyes and bowing his head. "She was in so much pain," he breathed. "So much… Losing Weiss was bad enough, her partner, but then after Blake died… felt like a little bit of her died too. Kept becoming more and more reckless…" He let out a small, bitter laugh. "Kinda like my sister, actually, and I couldn't help Jewel any more than I could Ruby… Even tried to drag her back for Yang's funeral, her last family member, but she wouldn't have anything to do with it, just kept saying she wasn't 'fit' to be around people anymore…"

Chuckling wryly, Jaune wiped his hand across his eyes. "I apologize for rambling, obviously it affects me still, Pyrrha even more so. We've been putting off going back to Vale to pay our respects… But you were there for her at the end?"

"We were, sir," Lustre murmured past the tightness in her throat. "She… She died a Huntress, protecting Evie. And she did open up to us a bit the night before, talking with us about… About Beacon, and her team… and Blake…"

"Good, that's good…" Jaune nodded wearily, turning without looking them in the eyes. "Um, I'd… appreciate it if you didn't mention any of this to Pyrrha, I'll… talk with her about it later, when we're alone. She hates for people to see her break down, and I know this will… Well, anyways. Dinner's just about ready, so the three of you can head inside." His back was to them as he gazed sightlessly out into the night, making no move to leave his spot.

"Thank you, sir, we shall do that," Lustre nodded, gesturing for the couple to proceed her.

"Thank _you_ ," Jaune whispered, barely audible.

Dinner was a happy affair, enough to pull Lustre, Beryl, and Evie out from their earlier funk. Though Jaune's chair remained vacant, Pyrrha seemed unworried and elegantly carried out her duties as hostess for the extra company that night.

They also got to meet Merri's siblings. Joy was their age, with long blond hair down to her waist and the same sapphire blue eyes as the majority of the Arc clan. She lived there with her parents still, working contentedly in a nearby flower shop. The teen had an easy, earthy vibe about her as she serenely conversed with Pip about various fashionable and trendy topics which the lanky coral-eyed girl was ecstatic to reciprocate.

Marty was the youngest at sixteen. The blue-eyed boy, sporting a bright shock of red hair kept shorn closely at the sides, currently attended Sanctum, and was confident in his chances at attending Haven Academy the following year, even if he quietly admitted to Lustre he was a bit nervous about going where his legendary mother was the Headmistress.

"So, I have a quick question, one that's kinda been bugging me," Evie spoke up after swallowing a bit of her seafood linguini. "You were all quite shocked to see Pip, but we fought in the Vytal Tournament this year. How was it you hadn't seen her before?"

Pyrrha smiled softly. "Quite likely because we missed your early fight. Even though Jaune and I graduated from Beacon, this year we attended a viewing party for the Haven entrants, and so only watched those initial bouts. I do recall seeing the both of you, Evie and Lustre, in your doubles round. And also the finals, we were all quite impressed with your performance, dear."

"Thank you," Lustre murmured modestly.

"Huh," Pip mused. "That's actually pretty funny, never even occurred to me with the similarities and all…"

Jilly nodded amicably. "And knowing the rest of the family, Vytal just doesn't hold that much interest for them. Jolene and Jemma are living out in Vale still, actually, but neither are Huntresses." The blonde woman shot them a rueful grin. "I didn't get to see any of the tourney this year, actually. Was out and about in the wilderness at the time."

"Jilly-bean always was a restless one," Jaune chimed in as he walked into the dining room, scroll in hand. "Always looking for the next adventure."

His sister rolled her eyes. "Gods, how I detest that nickname."

"And yet you keep visiting us anyway," he replied mildly, but with an affectionate smirk. As he plopped himself down in his chair next to Pyrrha, he gave his wife a quick kiss on the cheek before regarding the rest of the table. "So, Pip, I have some news for you."

The blonde team leader sat upright attentively. "Yes, sir?"

"Just Uncle Jaune is fine, I told you that," he admonished gently with a wave of his hand. "Anyway, it never occurred for me to use what resources I had, especially since I only had them available to me when I made Captain a couple of years ago…"

"Rambling again, dear," Pyrrha murmured affectionately.

"Right, right… Anyway, I did a search on the Valesian police database, using both name and visual cues, though I shouldn't have bothered with the last bit. Here's what I found." He turned his scroll around towards Pip with an excited grin on his face. "This… is your sister Glory."

"Oh my Oum," Pip squeaked, dumbfounded. "So… she's alive too?"

Lustre peered at the image of another blonde woman, obviously several years older than her, more Merri's age. She had a thinner face than Pip, and her blonde hair was spiked up, but the family resemblance was unmistakable. She also had the same color eyes as the Arcs, a brilliant sapphire blue. The silver-haired girl also noted several ear piercings and the hint of a tattoo that crept up the side of her neck.

"Er… is it bad that she's in a police database?" Beryl asked hesitantly.

"Well…" Jaune hedged. "It's not… good, at least. Only minor trouble to date, at least what she's been arrested for. Glory Cerise, arrested four times, only did eight months' time for one of the infractions... A few breaking and entering, burglary… Oh, and one pickpocketing. Apparently, she's living within the fringe criminal elements of Vale, no known address… But I do have an associate of hers, Tim Gray, and an address for him. I'll forward that info to your scroll, Pip."

"Is that legal?" Evie whispered to Merri next to her.

The redheaded Huntress smirked. "Dad's the captain. It's legal if he does it."

"Nice," the Cat Faunus snickered.

"So…" Pip was staring at her scroll and the picture of a sister she just found out about that night. "I guess… Vale is our next stop?"

"Correct," Lustre stated firmly. "Back to Vale."

"After dessert," Pyrrha stated, her tone that of a mother not to be repudiated.

"Yes, ma'am," several voices chorused, not at all upset with the notion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I need to make a few notes on the identity of Jaune's wife here. When I started writing Pearls, Season 3 hadn't ended yet for RWBY, and my intention from the beginning was to have Pip be the daughter of one of Jaune's sisters. And Pyrrha was always pegged to be Jaune's wife. I tried very hard to keep things nebulous enough that the story, set 40 years into the future, wouldn't veer too far off from canon.
> 
> And then the season ended. I was fairly well heartbroken, but shrugged and figured I would revise the plan. So Jaune's wife became Velvet, and Merri was a brunette half-Faunus. Left it that way right up until I finished with Volume 2 of Pearls and started to work out the details of Volume 3. And that's when it really struck me that I couldn't do it, I just couldn't write a fic where Pyrrha was no more. So I reverted it all back to the original intent, hence Merri now being a redhead. 'Cause I just can't bring myself to accept Pyrrha's death. If that now takes this fanfic off-canon, so be it.


	32. Acceptance

**Volume 3  
**

**En Route to Vale**

Evie let out an involuntary little purr as she snuggled back into her girlfriend's embrace. True, Beryl was a bit smaller than her, but in her esteemed opinion, the blue-haired girl was a masterful snuggler.

Granted, she might have been a bit biased.

She let out a sleepy yawn that ended in a tiny _mewl_ as she rested her hands over Beryl's. The back of her head vibrated with the shorter girl's chuckles.

"Are we a sleepy kitty cat?" Beryl asked amusedly.

"Maybe," she grinned, craning her head to look upwards. "I mean, it _is_ the dead of the night and all."

"It is not the dead of the night," Lustre corrected mildly, though she had to cover up a yawn of her own. "Merely an ungodsly early hour."

"Well, Pip _did_ say we needn't catch such an early flight," Beryl hummed before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on the Cat Faunus' forehead. Evie grimaced slightly before sending a guilty glance over at their team leader. The blonde was completely conked out, snoring softly with her head nestled in the corner of her seat and the window of the airship.

"Actually, this is kinda my fault," Evie murmured. _Had to bring this up sooner or later…_ "I, um… talked to her earlier about… Well, y'know how we've been all working on finding Pip's family and all, it just got me thinking…"

"Sweetie, you're rambling as much as Jaune did," Beryl laughed lightly. "What is it?"

Evie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I want you to meet my family," she rushed out all at once. She cracked an eye open to see her girlfriend's reaction.

It was about as she'd expected it to be.

"Now, dear," Lustre consoled the panic-stricken shield-bearer. "We will all be with you, even if this is a bit of a surprise…" The silver-haired girl shot a glare over at the Cat Faunus with her pale blue eyes. She felt suitably chagrined.

"I know, I know, I should have… said something earlier…" Her ears were flattened against her scalp, and her tail wound nervously around Beryl's leg. "You're not… mad at me, are you, sweetie?"

"No… No, I'm not," Beryl murmured. "I am, however, about to be sick."

"Yeah, I know it's a bit of a shock-"

"Seriously, lemme up, now."

Evie winced at the sounds coming from the nearby bathroom, trying very hard not to look her girlfriend's partner in the eye. She felt bad enough already.

"Yeah, this is gonna go well," she sighed disconsolately.

"What did you do, kitty cat?" a drowsy Pip mumbled as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I… just told Beryl about why we're coming back early."

The blonde snorted before stretching her long, rangy limbs. "Toldya to do so earlier."

"Yes, Pip… yes, you did…"

"Even _I_ could have told her that," Lustre grumbled under her breath.

"Yes, thank you, Lustre, I know I screwed up." Evie stood and paced angrily. "There just wasn't… I mean, what would have been a good time to tell her, really? I didn't want to spoil the evening with the Arcs, or the next day with your parents, Lustre… I just… Argh!" She stopped pacing and closed her eyes. "I suck at timing."

A pair of small but strong arms encircled her waist from behind. "We can work on that," Beryl stated softly.

"You made sure you brushed your teeth before you kiss your snuggle-kitty there, right, babe?" Pip snarked.

"Yes, Pip, I did, and I made sure to use your toothbrush."

Lustre giggled merrily, her hand held over her mouth. "Oh, my, that was nicely returned."

"Thank you, thank you," Beryl stepped back from Evie to give a small bow. "Burns applied on the hour, every hour."

"I should be immune to that," Pip mused, not at all put out by her teammate's snark.

Evie ignored the others as she stepped forward to enfold the petite blue-haired girl in a hug. "I am very sorry, love, for springing that upon you…"

"It's okay, really. Just… kind of a shock." Beryl placed a kiss on her collarbone. "I'm fine with it, honest. Well, okay, mostly fine."

The Cat Faunus pulled back once more to regard her girlfriend fondly.

Beryl sighed. "Yeah… So I'm just gonna fake being okay with it as best as I can."

"Thought so," Evie murmured, leaning down and giving her a tentative kiss. She wrinkled her nose as she stood back up. "Um, sweetie… There's mouthwash in my bag."

The shorter girl rolled her bronze eyes in mock exasperation and turned to rifle through her carry-on.

"So I haven't heard you talk much about your family, babe," Pip began. "Except that there's a whole lotta them. Like, big."

"Yes, 'big' is a good word to describe them… I have numerous siblings and cousins. Thirty-six in total, and that doesn't count my nieces and nephews." Evie shrugged as the others stared at her incredulously. "Hence why I was so very pleased to spend this break with all of you."

Beryl stepped into the bathroom to spit out her mouthful. "Anyone I need to watch out for?"

"My parents and aunts and uncles should be fine, those that are there," Evie murmured thoughtfully. "They're usually gone on jobs or missions, depends on what they do, only my parents and my uncle Onyx and Aunt Ellen are Hunters… The one who handles most of the family functions and finances and such is my oldest brother Reggie. He's… a bit of a traditionalist."

"How so?" Lustre asked curiously.

Evie shrugged once more, this time a bit more uncomfortably. "Well… He went to Signal, so he had some training, but instead of Beacon, he joined the armed forces for a bit. Got to see some of the remaining anti-Faunus sentiment there, left him bitter and… Well, let's just say he might have been prime recruiting material for the White Fang were it still around as a terrorist organization."

"Sounds like a real charmer," Pip spoke up dryly. She sat forward with her elbows on her knees. "So he's most likely going to object to you and Beryl."

"Perhaps. I always got along well enough with him, he supported my decision to go to Beacon." She smiled in remembrance. "Did some of my early training with him, and my parents when they were around."

"Right," Beryl murmured. "Well… I guess we'll just have to see, huh?"

"Relax, babe!" Pip groaned as she settled herself back into a dubiously comfortable position. "You got this. Just be your charming self, right?"

"Charming?" Beryl sputtered. "Really? You do remember who you're talking to, right?"

"Well, _I_ think you can be charming," Evie purred, wrapping her girlfriend up in a hug and nuzzling her cheek affectionately. "Certainly swept me off my feet."

"You and I have a very different recollection of how we ended up together," Beryl giggled, leaning into the embrace.

"Details, details," Evie murmured, planting a soft kiss on the edge of Beryl's jawline. "If Pip has confidence in you, who are we to argue?"

They glanced over at said fearless leader who was now snoring softly once again.

"Yes, I am certainly instilled with an overabundance of confidence now," Beryl deadpanned.

With a sigh, Evie dragged the blue-haired girl along with her back down into their seat. "It'll be okay, love," she murmured.

"I know," Beryl mumbled. "And I know this will be important for you… But you know how I am."

"I do, my love, I do." Evie smiled softly as she snuggled again with the petite girl who'd so effortlessly stolen her heart, though this time as the one behind the shorter girl.

_And it's high time we finally discussed being Mates because I have no more doubt in my mind that you are the right one for me… Let us get through this, and approval or no, we will be joined._

The Cat Faunus closed her eyes, smile still on her face, as she breathed in the scent of her girlfriend. She let her thoughts drift back to the previous evening spent with Pip's newfound family.

**Arc Residence  
** **Last Night**

"Mr. Arc," Evie began hesitantly, having caught him in the kitchen alone. "May I… Can we talk about something? Er, if you don't mind, that is?"

"Sure thing, Evie," the big blonde legendary Hunter replied genially, gesturing towards the back patio. "You want to step out again?"

"That'd be great, thanks…"

Once they were there, Jaune nursing a beer and the raven-haired girl sipping from her iced tea, she was unsure how to begin. It seemed far less foolish in her head than it might once spoken aloud.

"So," he prompted after a minute's silence. "What's on your mind?"

Evie cleared her throat, looking out into the darkness. "You… said you knew Ruby Rose well. I was wondering… um, how well did you know Blake Belladonna?"

"Ahhh," he sighed in understanding. "You're curious about the woman who you so closely resemble, hmm?"

She nodded ruefully. "I know it's silly, but…"

"It's not silly at all." Jaune shifted, placing his big hands on the railing as he looked pensively into the distance. "I can't say I knew Blake as well as I did Ruby, or even Weiss or Yang for that matter. She was always… closed off. Distant." He shot her a sideways glance. "You know about her history before Beacon, right?"

Evie nodded slowly as she turned to regard his profile. "Yes, she was a former White Fang member."

He gave her a nod in return. "That's right. It defined her for a good while, made her… distrustful, I suppose. Until Ruby broke her walls down."

Jaune gave a small laugh as he looked down at the grass of his back lawn. "Ruby had that quality with most folk, really, somehow just able to cut right through their preconceptions or misgivings and win their hearts over… Only with Blake, it went much further than that. I've never seen a cuter couple…"

He sighed, returning his gaze out into the darkness as Evie waited patiently for him to resume.

"Blake was an incredibly skilled fighter, fast and quiet and entirely unpredictable. The few times I sparred with her, she wiped the floor with me." Jaune chuckled mildly. "Only other time I ever saw her with such an excited gleam in those amber eyes of hers…"

"So she was a warrior?" Evie breathed.

But Jaune shook his head adamantly. "No, she was so much more than that… Blake read books with a passion, I mean, I never saw her without one. She was smart, on par with Weiss, really. But mostly, what really stood out about her?" He turned then and gave the Cat Faunus a wide smile. "Her loyalty to her team and friends. Like I said, I never knew her as well as the others on her team, but I always knew I could count on her for absolutely anything."

Evie nodded slowly once more, absorbing all of his words into her very being. "And… her and Ruby?"

"Hmm." The blonde Hunter faced outwards again. "Like I said, they made a really cute couple. Ruby was so happy…" He sighed heavily, features turning downwards. "They had their share of troubles, of course, especially once Blake stopped wearing her bow. They took a lot of flack from Humans and Faunus alike for their relationship. But they never let it get to them.

"And then when she lost Blake, it was like… Ruby just shut down, like she just couldn't find a reason to go on living… Well, save for hunting Grimm, that's all she seemed to care about anymore." Jaune shook himself as he stood upright. "But we don't need to get into that, right? I think you have an idea of how that all ended."

"I do, yes," she murmured, idly playing with the shortened tip of her tail in her hands. "Er… Thank you, Mr. Arc. I really appreciate it."

"Of course." Jaune smiled warmly as they turned to go back inside. "And, if I may… I do see a lot of Blake in you, but not just how you look. I see her in how you are with your team, especially the little blue-haired girl… Beryl, was it?"

Evie nodded happily. "Yes, Beryl, she's my girlfriend."

"Yeah, figured," he murmured. "The first time I saw that excited gleam in Blake's eyes, the same one I see in you? It was whenever she'd look at Ruby."

**Vale Transit Terminal  
** **Today**

They finally disembarked from the airship just before noon. An unfortunate headwind had held them back considerably, but that just gave them more time to sleep on the transport.

Uncomfortably.

"Argghhhh!" Pip groaned as she twisted her torso about, causing several pops and cracks to sound along her spine. "Why did you all let me sleep so long like that?"

"Well, you seemed to find it comfy," Beryl snickered. She, of course, had a very nice and soft kitty cat to curl up against. Said kitty cat looked rather pleased with her girlfriend's contented expression, even if she did have a few kinks of her own to work out. Lustre stood next to her as they did a few simple warmup stretches just outside the terminal.

"So, what shall we do with our bags?" Pip asked with a gasp as she tried to touch her toes. The words came out somewhat strangled as she valiantly tried to stand back upright, only succeeding with the assistance of Beryl. "We're not staying at your family's place, are we, Evie?"

"No, my room's not nearly big enough, if it hasn't already been reallocated to a younger family member," the Cat Faunus mused. "I figured we'd get some hotel rooms, there's a fairly cheap one close downtown, and it should be close to that address we want to look into." She paused in her stretches to regard Pip intently. "Sweetie, you're okay with delaying that a little while, right? While we visit with my family today?"

"Yeah, absolutely, babe! One day's not gonna make much of a difference." The blonde shot her a grin, her coral eyes shining mischievously. "Besides, how am I gonna pass up the opportunity to meet your family? All _sorts_ of material there to make fun of you. Wonder if they have any baby photos…?"

"Blondie, you know all those things my really cute girlfriend keeps threatening to do to you?" Evie asked, a dangerous glint in her own sapphire blue eyes. "I'm gonna pin you down and let her go to town."

"Aww, my kitty cat knows how to pamper me," Beryl squealed softly, giving her arm a hug.

"Lustre, c'mon babe, help me out here," Pip joked.

The silver-haired girl walked by with a finger upraised. "I am not getting involved. Besides which, we have not determined what to do with our bags."

"How about we just send them on to the hotel?" Beryl asked reasonably. "We can do that, right?"

"I think so?" their blonde team leader mused. "Here, gimme the hotel name, I'll give 'em a call…"

Within the span of fifteen minutes, their baggage was in one taxi heading for the place where they'd be spending the night while they were ensconced within another, heading for Evie's home. Their weapons were on their persons, though stored in the trunk, as Pip still had misgivings about roaming any downtown area unarmed, even Vale.

Beryl didn't have to ask, she knew the lanky blonde always watched over her shoulder for Leech to make a reappearance. But there wasn't much she could do to reassure her.

Eventually, they pulled up in front of a large, sprawling ranch-style home. It looked to actually be two homes linked together in the middle by a ramshackle stretch of cobbled-together smaller structures.

Beryl glanced aside at her girlfriend, whose scarred Faunus ear gave a small flick as she gazed out the window. "Um… big place," the blue-haired girl opined.

Evie nodded slightly. "Yeah. Funny enough, it actually looks smaller now that I've been gone awhile."

The four of them got out of the cab and retrieved their weapons. Beryl slid her overly-large shield across her back and buckled her sword on while she listened with half an ear to Pip paying the driver and getting his number for when they needed to head to the hotel later on.

 _So this… is what produced someone like Evie,_ she thought bemusedly. The rambunctious sound of many, many people carried all the way out and into the street where they stood. Beryl compared her girlfriend's upbringing to her own, sibling-less one, and shook her head wryly. _Nope, can't even imagine what it was like…_

"Aunt Evie!"

A small Faunus child came flying out from the front door, matching raven hair and tail streaming out behind her, though she didn't have any ears atop her head. The tiny girl flung herself into Evie's arms, giggling madly.

"Oof! Ellie, how have you grown this much since I saw you last?" Evie exclaimed merrily, swinging the girl around in a circle.

Ellie laughed as she was set back upon the ground. "Lots an' lotsa milk!"

"Good girl!" Their teammate turned around to include the other three girls. "Guys, this is my niece, Ellie. Ellie, my team."

"Ooooh, I like your hair," the small girl giggled, looking up at Beryl, who thought it novel to have _anyone_ be looking up at her, honestly.

"Thanks," the diminutive student smiled gently.

"Ellie, this is my girlfriend, Beryl," Evie stated fondly, wrapping an arm and her tail around her.

The little girl's mouth dropped open far enough they could all see her tonsils. "EEEEEeeeeeeee…."

Her sharp squealing faded into the distance as she flew back into the house, but her next words were clear as if broadcasted over the CCT.

"Aunt Evie's here and she has a girlfriend!"

"Whelp, so much for the subtle introductions," Pip snarked, bouncing on her toes.

Beryl let out a small whimper, hiding partially behind her raven-haired girlfriend as a seeming army of similar-looking Faunus poured out from the house. She was bolstered by her partner, stepping up and laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

_Alright, I can do this, I can do this for Evie…_

The introductions flew by in a whirlwind, so many relatives that it made her head spin. Evie was all smiles and laughter as she passed out hugs to her family, happily and proudly introducing Beryl and her other teammates. The smaller girl's shoulders began to straighten somewhat from the mostly warm greetings given by the members of the Black clan. The majority of those came from the predominantly female relations, though she received a few wary looks from Evie's brothers and male cousins. One wizened old Cat Faunus, his hair and tufted ears the color of gunmetal, gave her a warm hug, though, proclaiming in a wheezing voice his joy that one of his favorite granddaughters achieved happiness.

"Of course, grandad can't get my name right half the time," Evie confided to her with a giggle.

"I can't blame him, though," Beryl snickered back. Both Pip and Lustre, having assured themselves that Beryl was handling herself well enough, were off to the side and conversing with one of Evie's aunts, Ellen she thought her name was, who had graduated from Beacon half a decade ago.

"Uh-oh," her raven-haired girlfriend murmured then, stiffening slightly. "Here comes Reggie, and he doesn't look all too pleased…"

A large-framed Cat Faunus, ears and tail twitching irritably in tune with his stride, approached them. His hair was shoulder-length but tied back in a ponytail, and he wore a simple dark tee shirt and jeans. Beryl took a deep breath and tried to affix a pleasant smile on her face. _Charming, right, I can do charming… sorta…_

As she opened her mouth to greet Evie's eldest brother, though, she was cut off by his angry opening salvo.

"So this is what you've been doing up at Beacon? Fooling around with a Human girl?"

Evie's tail bristled as she stood tall, glaring up at the looming man. "Her name is Beryl, she's my teammate and my girlfriend."

"Not a very good teammate, if she let you get those scars," Reggie retorted, his face flushed.

_Oh, he did not just…_

Evie let go of her hand and took a step forward, her entire body trembling with rage. "I'm gonna let that slide, just this once," she growled. "You have no fucking clue what we all went through, how I got these scars, or what she did to save my life, so you will keep your fucking mouth _shut_ about shit you know nothing about, understand?"

The taller man recoiled slightly, obviously unused to dealing with his younger sister in such a state, but returned to the offensive soon enough.

"Whatever, Evie, the point is you should be working towards becoming a huntress like you always said you would, and if not that, then finding a Mate. Not a… Human plaything!"

Beryl's bronze eyes shot open wide, unable to even defend herself against such hostility. Fortunately, her increasingly irate girlfriend was more than willing to step up to the challenge.

"She is not a _plaything_ ," she snarled, her voice rising high enough to still all other conversation in the front yard. "She is my _girlfriend_! And I don't need to find a Mate, I already have!"

Now Beryl's gaze snapped over towards Evie, who was blushing brightly at the admission. _I'm… her Mate? Really?_

"Really?" Reggie retorted with a derisive laugh, unknowingly echoing Beryl's own surprise. "A Human? This is ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous or no, it's a fact." Evie stepped back, reaching behind her to clasp Beryl's hand tightly. "She is my Mate."

"You haven't Marked her yet!"

This evening was just full of surprises for the blue-haired girl. _Marked? Now, what in the name of Dust does that mean?_

"Yet," Evie agreed archly, her free hand fisted on her hip.

Reggie looked around at his family incredulously. "This… girl, this tiny, scrawny little Human girl, is worthy enough to be your Mate? You've lost your senses!"

"Scrawny?" Pip barked out in a laugh from where she'd stepped up alongside Lustre to back her teammates up. "Oh, you just stepped in it now, buddy."

Beryl nodded firmly, pushing a surprised Evie behind her. "Yeah, I'm tiny. Fight me."

"What?" he gaped.

"You heard me." She crossed her arms and smirked up at him. "You don't think I'm worthy, so fight me, then. You and me, right here, let's spar. Tourney rules."

Reggie stared at her for a moment or two, his brows lowered furiously. "Fine," he spat out. "And when they haul your broken body outta here, I never want to see your face again."

"And when you're eating dirt," Beryl calmly replied. "I expect an apology towards your sister."

Snorting scornfully, he turned on his heel and marched back towards the house. The rest of the family began clearing a large area on the spacious lawn while Evie turned towards her girlfriend, smiling slightly. The Cat Faunus leaned over and gave the shorter girl a tight hug.

"I know he's my brother and all," she whispered in her ear. "But you make sure you give him a proper ass-kicking, alright?"

"That's the plan, kitty cat," she smirked. Evie pulled back and gave her a hard kiss before strolling back to join a completely unworried Pip and Lustre.

"Have fun, dear," her partner called out with a smile.

Beryl gave her a wink as she turned, seeing Reggie approach. The tall man bore a large sword that, as he gave it a jerk, extended into a halberd.

 _Now, what do you suppose the point of that is, except for transport?_ she wondered to herself, slipping her shield around and drawing _Shashka_ out with a flourish. _Or maybe he changes between close-in fighting and longer-reach?_

Her eyes tracked how the muscular Cat Faunus moved, light on his feet and twirling his weapon about his body. _He's overconfident and giving too much away already._ She smirked slightly, quickly forming a plan. _This'll be fun_.

Without warning, Reggie charged in, swinging his halberd down in a powerful arc. Beryl took only a fraction of a second to activate her semblance, glowing blue as she set herself. The pole-arm bounced off of her upraised shield, throwing the surprised man back as well. While he was off-balance, she twirled _Shashka_ into a carbine and propped it up against _Dahl_ to send a few rounds into his backside.

Growling furiously, Reggie turned and charged once more. This time, however, his muscles seemed to bulge as his entire form enlarged, gaining another half-foot of height and easily twice that in girth.

 _Nice trick,_ she grinned to herself at the activation of his semblance, setting her weapon back into a sword. _Not gonna help you any_.

The enraged towering Faunus crashed headlong into Beryl once more, his halberd turned back into a greatsword so that he could batter at the smaller woman. The blue-haired girl found it laughably easy to keep up with the rapid onslaught, smoothly blocking with both shield and sword until she saw an opening.

Once his guard was down as he brought his arms up for another overhand strike, Beryl deactivated her semblance and rolled adroitly right between his legs. He bent down with an almost comical look of confusion on his face, only to meet the business end of a carbine.

"Surprise!" Beryl called out cheerfully before sending a cluster of rounds into his forehead.

Reggie stumbled forward, twisting around with uncharacteristic gracelessness as he tried to regain his footing, but Beryl was unrelenting in her attacks now. She bashed into him with _Dahl_ , stunning him further as her sword danced in her hands, expertly dismantling his aura.

"And match!" Evie called out loudly as his aura finally collapsed in a flash of purple light.

Beryl grinned widely while she regarded the shrunken man, his semblance faded away as he crouched, panting heavily. "Now then," she announced as her girlfriend stepped up to give her a congratulatory kiss on the cheek. "I think you have something to say to Evie?"

With a grunt, Reggie regained his footing and regarded the pair levelly, though without any rancor whatsoever this time. He gave them both a nod of respect. "Alright," he stated firmly. "I was wrong, Evie, and I'm sorry. As for you…" He held his hand out to Beryl, who unhesitatingly grasped it with a powerful grip. "Yeah, I apologize as well. Anyone who can kick my ass that soundly is more than worthy."

"Never had a doubt," Pip snickered in the background.

"Indeed," Lustre murmured fondly.

**Holiday Hotel, Downtown Vale**

"Well, sweetie," Evie murmured as their cab pulled up to the hotel that evening. "I suppose we survived."

"We did," Beryl agreed, leaning over to give her girlfriend a kiss on the side of her neck, causing her to giggle involuntarily. "And I guess, in the end… your family was pretty neat. Large, like, way too large, but neat."

The Cat Faunus smiled warmly. "Knew you'd win them over." _Though I suppose it could have gone better with Reggie, at least he gave in at the end. Now, since my wonderful girlfriend has shown such courage, time for me to do the same…_

"So," she announced as the four of them exited the cab, Pip yawning widely and patting her full belly from the meal they'd gotten at the Black household. "How about Beryl and Lustre go find our bags while Pip and I check in?"

"We can certainly do that," her silver-haired teammate nodded with a slight smile. "Shall we?"

"Yes, we shall," Beryl replied loftily, linking her arm with her partner's. They strode off and into the depths of the hotel lobby, giggling.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Evie turned towards Pip earnestly. "Okay, so I have a request."

"Kinda figured that," the rangy blonde answered, her arms crossed and coral eyes sparkling humorously. "You're not nearly as sneaky as you think you are."

"Oh, hush," the Cat Faunus retorted with a hesitant grin. "So, I'd like a separate room for Beryl and I."

"Okay…"

"And… not near yours."

"Okay…" the blonde repeated before her eyes lit up. "Oh! Right, I gotcha!" She grinned widely as she stepped in to give her partner a tight hug. "Tonight's the night, huh?"

"Hopefully," Evie whispered. "I'm… a little nervous."

"Don't be," Pip murmured reassuringly. "This is Beryl, remember? You got nothing to worry 'bout. Just relax and let happen what happens."

She nodded quickly, stepping back and heading into the hotel lobby ahead of her team leader. Pip did manage to get them rooms far apart and was actually able to arrange for Evie and Beryl to be on a corner without a neighbor, explaining how Evie got migraines easily and needed her peace and quiet. The Cat Faunus shot her a grateful look as the receptionist handed over their keys.

Once in their room, their bags placed upon the dresser, Beryl bounced over and into the middle of the queen-sized bed to sit cross-legged, her armor and arms already shedded and sitting near the door.

"So, beautiful," the blue-haired girl began with a smile that faded into solemnity. "I think we should talk some."

"Yes," Evie stated resolutely, slipping her boots and straps off before standing in front of her somewhat nervously. "Um… let's get ready for bed, though, while we talk, okay?"

"Sounds good," Beryl replied with a grin, bounding back off and skipping over to dig through her bag. Evie already had her nightclothes laid out and shrugged her clothes off with her back turned.

"So, I'm guessing we want to talk about the same thing, right?" she asked softly over her shoulder.

"Mmhmm," Beryl murmured. "Mating."

"Right."

"I mean, I really, really don't wanna pressure you or anything…"

"Oh, Beryl," she sighed fondly, slipping her black camisole on over her head. "You are so sweet… I just announced to my entire family that you were my Mate, of course I need to talk to you about it… should have done so much earlier, actually…"

"Well, I kinda figured it was unintentional."

"Yeah, but still…" Evie sighed again, her sleep shorts on, and wrapped her arms and tail around her middle. "I should have realized it would come up."

"Whelp, it did, so now we can talk." She felt the warm press of her girlfriend up against her back, small but strong arms wrapping around her to rest on top of her own. Berl kissed the nape of her neck, causing her to squirm slightly and giggle.

"Okay, then…" Evie turned and led them back to the bed, pulling the sheets down and the pillows up so that they could rest side-by-side while sitting against the headboard. She reached over and clasped Beryl's left hand in hers, giving her rather clinging sleep apparel a quick appreciative eye.

"So, Mating…" She cleared her throat and did the same for her mind. "I actually had to look some of this up for the specifics…"

"Oh! Is that the one book you kept hiding from me, _The Basics of Faunus Culture_?"

"Yes… volume two…" Evie gave her girlfriend a mock glare. "If I was hiding it from you, how do you know about it?"

"Um…" Beryl grinned at her sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck. "I kinda maybe mighta sneaked a peek?"

"You're just lucky you're so cute," the Cat Faunus grumbled, earning a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I'm lucky you love me," Beryl replied with a contented sigh, leaning against her shoulder. "So, then…"

"Right. Mating." Evie closed her eyes briefly, mentally summoning up the text that she'd packed along, having checked it out from Beacon library for the duration of the summer. "Mating is a specifically Faunus attribute, a bond formed between a couple in several stages."

"That's the Mark," Beryl murmured. She picked up on her girlfriend's surprise, giving a small giggle. "I did a little reading, but I picked up on that from your talk with Reggie."

"Yes, the Mark is what forms the bond. Again, it's between two Faunus… But there have been cases where a Human and a Faunus are Mated. It's rare, but does happen. Unfortunately, it's a one-way bond, as only the Faunus can create the Mark."

Beryl nodded slowly against her shoulder. "So how does this bond work?"

"Well, it would allow for the Mates to find each other, their auras. Also to pick up on how they're feeling. You know how sometimes, you just can't figure out where a person is coming from, or what they really mean gets lost in translation?" Evie smiled softly. "The Mark circumvents that. You can tell what your Mate is feeling, even over a distance."

"Cool," the blue-haired girl breathed, stroking her thumb along Evie's wrist gently.

"To form a Mark," Evie continued, leaning her head against the top of Beryl's, "the two Faunus need a whole lot of trust and respect, besides the obvious attraction. For a Human and a Faunus, that's only required on the Faunus end."

"Well, good thing we both have all of that and more," Beryl laughed softly.

"Mmhmm," Evie agreed, turning slightly and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "So, the Mark itself, it's a bite that leaves a bruise, the first stage of it, anyway."

"A bruise?"

"Right, it stays for a bit since it's infused with aura."

Beryl sat up slightly, her forehead creased. "Huh."

"What is it, sweetie?"

"Um… nothing yet, I'm… figuring something out… go ahead, so that's the first stage?"

Evie nodded. "Yes, the first stage, kinda like just dating someone. It's temporary, so you can test for compatibility. Then the second one, think of it as an engagement, it's more permanent, meaning it doesn't need reapplied. It looks like a tattoo, but the actual Mark itself varies, it'll be something significant to the Mate. And finally, the third stage is like marriage, it doesn't change on the outside but it's even stronger than the other two and can't be broken, ever."

Beryl tilted her head to the side. "So for doing the initial Mark... you'd push your aura into it when you make it?"

"Yes, that's how it's formed, along with… well, it's hard to describe, but basically along with the aura you pour all of your love into it as well… And then that forms the initial Mark. At least, it should, we would know in the morning."

The blue-haired girl turned to her, light bronze eyes twinkling. "So it sounds like you wanna do this tonight."

"Well, that was… Erm…" Evie blushed and looked down at her lap. "Yes."

"So this aura infusion, how would that work with… this?"

As Beryl spoke, she trailed her hand along Evie's arm, pushing a little bit of her aura into the action. It left a glowing trail of white and cobalt blue in its path.

Evie's eyes widened as she watched the action. "Our Aura Bond," she breathed. "Um, I don't… I have no idea, there wasn't anything about that…"

"Well, here's what I think," Beryl stated softly, reaching across to tilt Evie's chin upwards so that she could look her in the eyes. "I think that this Mark could go both ways if I do it at the same time. I think… I think our Bond could work with the Mark, make it even stronger."

"Oh," Evie breathed. "Um… It's worth a try, I suppose? That is, if you want to… I mean…"

"Why kitty cat, are you asking for my permission to Mark me?" Beryl grinned.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes I am."

Beryl leaned in and brushed her lips up against hers. "Only if I can try to do the same for you."

"Okay," Evie murmured, once again reduced to a mushy pile by her girlfriend's mere presence. _I am so incredibly lucky..._

She leaned back from the brief kiss, blushing lightly. "Um… there's one other thing… That is, to make the Mark, it's not necessary, but it… helps…"

"Sure, anything to make this easier," Beryl smiled. "What is it?"

"Well…" Evie knew she was blushing harder now, her ears flattened against the top of her head. "It would be… advantageous… if when we made the Mark, it were done… um… in the heat of passion, as it were…"

Beryl let out a surprised but wholly pleased laugh. "Oh! So, you, um… You wanna…?"

She nodded furiously, staring at her hands in her lap.

Her girlfriend leaned in once again, resting their foreheads together. "You know I will wait until the end of Remnant for you," she whispered earnestly. "I will wait for you to be ready for this, and for the Mark, and for whatever. I am yours, however you want me, Evie. So, tell me truthfully… Are you really ready to have sex?"

"Yes," she whispered, raising her face upwards. Unshed tears of happiness glistened in her eyes. "I have never been more ready."

"Okay, then," Beryl grinned. She grabbed hold of Evie's arms and flipped backwards, pulling the Cat Faunus along with her.

The raven-haired girl let out a surprised _yelp_ as she landed on her girlfriend, sprawled out across the bed.

"So what are we waiting for?" Beryl murmured with an anticipatory grin.

Evie returned the grin eagerly as she rose up enough to slip her shirt back off. "Absolutely nothing," she purred.

* * *

The following morning, Evie awoke slowly, unwilling to open her eyes. She felt deliciously sore in all sorts of new places, but the afterglow of the previous night's activities still clung to her.

_That was… so incredible._

Her slow smile froze as she felt a little twinge of warmth on the back of her left shoulder. _What was… Oh, the Mark!_

Her eyes still closed, Evie concentrated and sent out a pulse of aura. In her mind's eye she could see her girlfriend, upright and sitting cross-legged next to her. Her form was a nebulous glow of shifting colors, white and cobalt blue just like the trail they left across each other's skin.

Somehow she knew that she looked the exact same in her lover's eyes.

And then the form reached out to her with a tendril of aura, meeting her halfway as they merged. Evie let out a soft gasp as she was overwhelmed by happy emotions.

_Joy. Serenity. Belonging. Warmth. Relief. Eagerness._

"Good morning, sleepy head," Beryl whispered from behind her. "It worked."

Evie rolled over with a wide smile on her face to match that of the blue-haired girl. She sat up, heedless of her own nudity as much as she ignored Beryl's.

"You mean… you as well?" she asked excitedly.

Beryl nodded rapidly, delighted tears rolling down her face. "I can feel you, I can… Oh, gods, Evie it's amazing…"

"Yeah," the Cat Faunus sobbed happily, tackling the smaller girl in a tight hug. "Yeah, it is."

Her throat closed up and she was unable to articulate any further, but she didn't need to really. The bond was open wide between them, and they could easily tell exactly how they felt, especially the one overwhelming emotion.

_Love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, always bet on Beryl. Tiny but fierce. And finally we have the Mark! Major props as always to l OmegaInfinity l and their excellent polyamory tale, Linked in Life and Love, which is where I got a lot of my info from on Mating. I took a lot less time with it here than I did over with A Thorny Tangled Triangle, but different circumstances I think. And I'd planned this for awhile, for Beryl to be able to reciprocate the Mark due to their Aura Bond. I actually combined two chapters for this as they were individually short and not worthy of a monthly update.
> 
> Speaking of which, now that I'm done with Thorns, it is my sincere hope to be able to finish this out sooner than one post a month. With the way I've combined chapters we only have four more after this one to finish out the story arc, and then I'll be putting this story on indefinite hiatus. I'd like to do the fourth volume, but I don't have anything concrete planned, just a bunch of jumbled ideas. Maybe I'll revisit it later, after I work on a few other projects.
> 
> I do apologize if there are more typos than usual in here, I wanted to get this out rather than spend days reviewing it as usual.


	33. Calm

**Volume 3  
**

**Downtown Vale**

Pip lounged upon the sofa in the waiting area of the motel, stretching her long legs out in front of her. "I'm gonna go fetch 'em," she stated without a trace of seriousness, in fact not moving a muscle from her comfortable sprawl.

Sitting somewhat more demurely next to her, Lustre didn't even look up from her book. "No, you are not."

"Yep, I'm gonna go up and knock on their door."

"Then I shall have to break your legs now and save my partner the trouble."

The rangy blonde chuckled, lacing her fingers behind her head as she looked up at the ceiling. "Now there's the Team Perl morning threats I've come to expect."

"It would certainly not be a typical morning without one," her silver-haired friend agreed calmly.

They sat in silence for a few more moments before Pip spoke up again restlessly.

"You think it went alright for them?"

"I do not see why it would not. They make quite the adorable couple, and love each other greatly."

Pip grinned over at her teammate and opened her mouth to engage in one of her trademark teasings when Lustre beat her to it.

"No, I am not a romantic. No, I am not reading one of those types of books."

The blonde let a breath out, deflated. "You're no fun this morning," she grumbled mildly.

Lustre gave a soft smile, still not looking up from her book. "That would be due to my lack of sleep, as a direct result of your snoring by my head."

"Wha- Babe, I'm offended." Pip clasped a hand to her chest. "I've told you before, I don't snore! You must have been dreaming."

The silver-haired girl's smile turned into a smirk. "Yes, dear. You keep telling yourself that."

Just then the couple in question appeared, as the elevator door slid aside with a _ding_ , holding hands and smiling shyly at each other. Beryl gave a start as she noticed the elevator had opened and dragged her giggling Faunus girlfriend after her.

"Yep," Pip grinned widely. "It went well."

"Told you so," Lustre murmured in a sing-song voice, causing the blonde to bark out a quick laugh as she rose to her feet.

"You two are looking pretty damn radiant this morning!" the rangy coral-eyed girl announced.

"Um, yeah," Beryl chuckled a bit bashfully, ducking her head. "I guess we are."

"And quite satisfied," Evie added in a smug voice. Her girlfriend turned to regard her quizzically, but then Beryl's face cleared up as she laughed and hugged her enthusiastically.

" _Okaaay_ ," Pip drawled out. "Well, let's go grab some breakfast from in here before we head out, okay?"

"Yeah, sounds good," her partner smiled. "And, um… we have something to tell you, too."

Pip and Lustre shared a confused shrug behind the pair's back as they entered the small breakfast room of the motel. "They shall tell us in due time," the silver-haired girl stated softly.

Nodding, she trailed behind the others, smirking at the way Evie's tail curled possessively around her blue-haired teammate's leg, and grabbed what she could of the complementary food set out. Fortunately, it was laden with a decent amount of meats, so she grabbed a tongful of bacon, a few sausage patties, and a goodly-sized serving of eggs. As an afterthought, she plopped a chunk of melon on her plate as well to forestall any criticism from her teammates. Ahead of her, Lustre had found the hot sauce, which was somewhat lacking based on her disappointed look, but she proceeded to drench her eggs in it anyway.

The two of them headed over to a corner table within the moderately busy room where Evie and Beryl were already seated, grinning at them somewhat nervously while clasping hands on the table's surface.

"So, what's goin' on?" Pip asked as she sat. _No point in beating around the bush, I wanna know what's got them all bothered._

She may be back in Vale to search for her older sibling, but to these three girls, she was still and always would be their big sister.

"Okay," Evie began, clearing her throat before lowering her voice. "So, obviously, last night went… well…"

" _Evieeee_ ," Beryl moaned softly. "You didn't say you'd be bringing _that_ up!"

"I'm just… giving context!" the raven-haired Faunus explained, her tail swishing nervously behind her. "So… alright, I'm just gonna come right out and tell you guys, 'cause you'd be the first to know anyway… I mean, yeah we live together, but you're our family, right?"

"Evie," Lustre broke in gently. "You are rambling, dear. Just say what it is you need to say."

The Cat Faunus nodded rapidly and inhaled deeply before letting it out in a rush. "We're Mated," she finally whispered with a pleased smile.

"You're… Really?" Pip laughed loudly with her head thrown back, the happy sound echoing off the walls and causing more than a few stares in their direction. "That's awesome! Dust, I'm so happy for you guys!"

"I am overjoyed for you both as well," Lustre stated with a fond smile, resting her hand on her partner's shoulder. "Was this planned?"

"Sorta," Evie grinned bashfully. "I just… I kinda winged it."

"Pfft, like she really needed to," the blue-haired girl at her side scoffed lightly. "She shoulda known I'd go along with anything she wanted."

"Well, I do now," Evie retorted with a lecherous grin, causing her girlfriend to blush.

" _Evieeee_..."

"Damn." Pip shook her head, absolute joy for her friends bubbling up in her chest. She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye. "Just… Damn. That's awesome, really."

"Pip, are you crying?" her partner exclaimed.

"No, just… dusty in here." The blonde shook her head ruefully.

"Uh-huh," Beryl laughed. "And not 'cause our fearless leader is a big softie or anything, right?"

"...Hush, you."

"Well, I must say, this is amazing news," Lustre interjected warmly. "Would you two like to celebrate? I am afraid I do not know the protocol in such instances…"

"Er, there's no real _protocol_ , per se," Evie smiled. "I mean, usually, it's just like telling folk that they're dating or engaged… Which is why you're the first to know, of course."

"Aww," the blonde grinned, leaping from her chair and running around the table. "You guys… c'mere…"

"Ack!" Beryl laughed as Pip threw an arm around her shoulders from behind, wrapping her up in a similar hug alongside the Cat Faunus.

* * *

The four girls, armed and armored in their typical combat gear, were standing in front of a rather tall, though dilapidated, apartment building. It was an imposing brick structure with numerous windows, with the bottom two floors having secure-looking bars across them and a rusty fire escape along each side of the building, bordered by narrow alleys.

"Sooo…" Evie murmured uncertainly. "This is the place, then?"

Pip nodded slowly. "Yeah, this was the address that Uncle Jaune gave me for that guy Glory was associated with." She grinned suddenly and turned to the others. "Feels weird calling him that."

Her partner reached out and gave her arm a squeeze. "C'mon, blondie. Let's go find your sister."

They trudged up to the eighth floor, passing several graffiti-lined corridors, some apartments with the doors hanging off the hinges, and another with a very odd smell emanating from it.

"Ugh," Pip scowled with her nose screwed up. "Junkies."

"Is _that_ what the smell is?" Beryl asked curiously.

Lustre turned from where she led the procession. "And how precisely do you know this, dear?"

The rangy blonde raised her hands defensively. "Hey, keep in mind my upbringing. I never used the stuff, but I knew those who did."

"Not gonna judge any," Evie reassured her. "Just as curious, though."

They finally reached the target floor, only Beryl breathing heavily. "Dust," the petite blue-haired girl sighed. "I gotta work on my endurance, especially with my armor on…"

"I have a few ideas along those lines," her Cat Faunus lover grinned wickedly.

Pip barked out a loud laugh, followed by Lustre's more demure giggling, while the blue-haired girl in question blushed a bright red and covered her face with the palm of her hand.

"I suppose I walked right into that, didn't I," she sighed.

"Yes," Evie snickered, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Yes, you did."

After recovering, Pip walked forward to the second door on the hallway. She paused as another door further along opened to reveal a mother and her two little girls on their way to play somewhere outside. The brunette, evidently a Bird Faunus of some sort by the tan-colored plumes along her neck that matched the downy fluff on her children, gave them all a wide berth as she scurried past.

"Well, this can't be all that bad a place," Beryl murmured. "I mean, families live here."

"Oh, sweetie," her girlfriend sighed. "Sometimes folk don't have a choice in the conditions they can afford to live in. Faunus especially, even nowadays."

Pip nodded a bit sadly. "It's gotten a lot better, I think, but yeah, I knew a lot of kids that came from projects, government housing, that sorta thing… Gotta live where the work is." The blonde gave a somewhat lopsided grin. "Makes me wonder, sometimes, where I would have ended up if I hadn't gotten into the program for Signal and then Beacon."

"I do not think that would ever have been in doubt, dear," Lustre replied warmly. "You are a warrior and a Huntress."

"And our fearless leader," Beryl chipped in. "Can't imagine you ever ending up anywhere else."

"Yeah, I suppose," Pip nodded, sucking in a quick breath as she faced the door. "Whelp, no use puttin' it off any longer, this is the place. Here goes."

She rapped her knuckles on the door several times and then stood back to wait.

After almost a full minute she frowned and turned partway towards her partner. "You hear anything?"

Evie nodded, her Faunus ears twitching. "Yeah, sounded like… a window opening? Oh!"

The raven-haired girl spun and darted over toward the end of the hallway by the stairs. The window there was open, and she leaned out to look around the side of the building.

"Two figures escaping out the side!" she called out over her shoulder. "One in the alley, the other's going over the rooftops!"

"Evie, take the alley, Lustre, the roof!" Pip barked out as she charged down the staircase. Beryl was hot on her heels, but they felt the breeze as their silver-haired teammate shot past them and through the window. Evie had already teleported away in pursuit.

Panting, the two armored girls arrived at the ground level. The blonde grinned and gave a polite nod to the startled mother from earlier. "Ma'am," she said breathlessly before shouldering the side door open and lunging into the alleyway.

Evie was standing stock-still in the middle, both her Faunus ears and tail twitching sporadically and her head tilted slightly to the side. The two girls slowed their charge, trotting up next to her and peering down the alley.

"Uhh, did they get away?" Beryl asked curiously.

Their teammate shook her head slowly, raven tresses blowing in the light breeze. "No… not exactly… just trying to… locate…" Her sapphire blue eyes sparkled suddenly as a feral grin crept across her face. "Aha, gotcha!"

She blinked away again, only to end up almost at the other end of the narrow alley at chest-level. And then she was tackling an invisible figure that quickly materialized into a dark-clad form as the two began to struggle amidst curses and scuffling. Finally the other managed to flip Evie off and pounced, the hood of the dark cloak falling back to reveal a shock of blonde hair in disarray.

The blonde woman straddled the Faunus girl, striking her across the face with a clenched fist. Before she could get another hit in, she was slammed into her side by a blur of blue.

Beryl had the taller attacker pressed up against the brick wall, _Shashka_ at her throat. "Don't you fucking touch my girlfriend," she growled fiercely.

Pip stepped over to help Evie up, but her partner was already rolling to her feet and dusting herself off, none the worse for wear thanks to her aura. "So," the raven-haired girl began nonchalantly. "That her?"

Frowning slightly, the blonde team leader turned to the other blonde who seemed content to remain still while pinned in place by the blade still held unwaveringly at her throat. Her hair was a little different from the photo, closer-cropped on the sides now and spiky up top, but her lean face and bright blue eyes were unmistakable, those features a clear indicator of the Arc family genes at work. Upon closer inspection, Pip could see that her sister's right ear had several gold hoop piercings along the edge with a gold chain connecting the top and bottom ones, while the left contained only a single sapphire stud that matched her eyes.

"Looks like it," the blonde team leader sighed, trying for a reassuring smile. The pinned woman twisted slightly to view her, revealing that the tattoo on the side of her neck was of a purple Morning Glory. _Heh, appropriate._

"So who are you guys with?" the other woman finally spat out harshly, her blue eyes hard and glinting. "Don't think I've seen you types running around here, look more like fancy students than anything."

"Um, yeah…" Pip grinned, rubbing the back of her neck. "That's 'cause we are. Thing is…"

Just then a large figure dropped bonelessly to the concrete in between them with a muffled _whump_. It stirred slightly, tossing back another dark cloak to reveal a lean face with jet-black hair and tall Faunus ears that swiveled inquisitively as he took in his surroundings. He flinched slightly as Lustre dropped to the ground, his golden eyes narrowed in irritation at the final team member's appearance.

"You okay, Tim?" the blonde woman frowned.

"Yeah, fine, G, fine," he grunted, sitting up and brushing himself off. "Who are these clowns?"

She snorted derisively. "Just some kids from the school who need a good smackdown."

"Oh yeah," Evie grinned. "Definitely her."

"Does she not realize who has a blade to whose throat here?" Beryl rhetorically questioned to the world at large.

"Okay, okay, let's just hold up now," Pip implored, her hands upraised. "Please let her go, babe, we're getting off on the wrong foot here."

Scowling, Beryl stepped back and sheathed her sword, though she kept herself in front of Evie with her arms crossed as if daring the other blonde to try anything. Her Cat Faunus girlfriend giggled at that and wrapped her arms around her from behind.

"You're so cute when you're being all protective," the raven-haired girl murmured.

" _Evieeee_ ," Beryl complained quietly. "I'm trying to be intimidating here!"

"Okay, seriously, who are you people?" Tim demanded as he got to his feet, hands twitching at his sides.

"Allow me," Evie interjected, stepping up next to her adorably ferocious girlfriend. "Glory Cerise?"

The other blonde tilted her head cautiously in agreement.

The Cat Faunus grinned widely as she indicated her team leader with a sweep of her hand. "Meet your sister, Pippin Cerise."

Pip gave her a weak smile and a hesitant wave. "Um, hey."

Glory stared at the other blonde for a good minute. "You're shitting me here."

"Actually, I kinda see it," Tim mused as he stepped in between the two, head swiveling back and forth. "Younger sister, I take it?"

"Yup," Pip nodded easily.

"Figures." He shook his head ruefully. "I mean seriously, what's with the amateur hour? Leaving us with our weapons and everything?"

"Hey, we weren't looking for a fight!" the blonde retorted. "And it's not like we couldn't hold our own if we needed to!"

"Pfft, yeah, right," he waved her away dismissively. "So, G, whaddya think?"

"I think she's gonna shiv you if you keep taunting her like that," Glory replied with a smirk. "But for now… Yeah, I still don't believe it. I'm an orphan, how'd you even find me, then?"

Evie laid a restraining arm on her partner who, truth be told, was working quite hard at keeping her hands from erupting into flames. "That's a long story. I get it, you don't trust us, but maybe we can talk somewhere else?"

Glory eyed the four of them stoically for a few moments while her partner just looked on with a condescending smirk, one which continued to increasingly infuriate Pip as the seconds ticked by.

"Fine," the other blonde finally grunted. She stepped away from the wall and tilted her head to the side. "This way."

**Fat Charlie's Bar & Grill  
** **Downtown Vale**

"Well, this is… an interesting locale," Lustre murmured from her seat around the large round table.

Pip had just finished regaling her newfound sister with the tale of her summer quest to find her mother, and how along the way she'd been inadvertently discovering more family that she never knew existed. The six of them were clustered together in a smoky, mostly-deserted bar. While both Tim and Glory had tumblers of smoky liquid in front of them, the others had declined any beverage.

"It's colorful," Pip agreed, watching her blonde sibling who wore a thousand-yard stare on her face as she tried to come to terms with everything revealed to her. "Been in worse."

"Oh, c'mon kid, don't try and play the tough-girl card," the Wolf Faunus scoffed from his relaxed perch next to his partner. "It doesn't suit you."

"You callin' me a liar?" the lanky blonde demanded with a low growl. "Just got done telling you, dumb-ass, I grew up in an orphanage. Yeah, I had a roof over my head to sleep under at night, but I spent plenty of time on the streets."

" _Riiight_ ," he drawled, tossing back the rest of his drink. Amber eyes glittered in amusement as he regarded the irate girl. "I'm sure you had it rough."

Her growling cut off as Evie laid a restraining hand on her arm. "Why are you letting him get under your skin like that?" the Cat Faunus murmured.

"'Cause he's a condescending ass," Pip retorted, not bothering to lower her voice.

"Well, you're not wrong," Glory replied, earning her a laugh from the raven-haired man lounging indolently next to her. Her blue eyes focused in on Pip once more, this time more consideringly rather than mistrustful. "But he's saved my life enough for me to put up with it."

"Aw, you love it," Tim snickered. "Don't deny."

In response the other blonde shot a hand over to flick him on the nose, causing him to just laugh harder. "Alright then," she began quietly, ignoring her partner's antics. "I got some stuff I gotta do today. Errands and such. Pip, you wanna come with?"

"Me?" her sister replied somewhat less than intelligently.

"Wait, what?" Tim interjected, the legs of his tilted chair slamming back to the floor with a _thud_. "G, you trust this kid to watch your back?"

"Look, jerkoff," Pip snarled, rising to her feet and leaning forward on her fists. She cut off whatever response Glory had been about to make, as she'd just reached the limit of her admittedly short fuse. "I'm no _kid_ , I've been through shit you cannot begin to imagine, alright? Yeah, I'm eighteen and a student, nineteen next month, but my team is probably the best in Beacon, and we're just now starting our third year. I could kick your ass nine ways to Oum, and I'm damn well able to fucking watch my sister's back as well as you could, if not better."

"Pip," her partner murmured warningly.

The blonde was panting heavily by that point, and just now noticed the tendrils of smoke wafting up from the table. Glancing down, she saw the veins in her hands glowing dully red, the surface below her fists charred and blackened.

Without meeting the wide-eyed stares of Glory or Tim, she closed her eyes and willed herself to relax as she sat back down. "Sorry," she mumbled, abashed. "I'm okay now."

"Fuck me," she heard the Wolf Faunus breathe.

Glory snorted as Pip opened her eyes again. "That's some semblance you got there."

"It's not all semblance," she returned quietly. "But… Well, it's a long story, and better saved for another time, yeah?"

The other blonde nodded. "Yeah, okay, Pip. And for the record?" She smirked widely over at Tim. "This ass is only twenty himself."

"Now why you gotta go dispelling my air of mystery?" Tim objected mildly.

"Not that mysterious, dork," Glory smiled fondly as she rose to her feet.

Beryl leaned over from the other side of Evie, frowning slightly. "You sure about this, Pip?"

"It'll be fine, babe," she reassured the blue-haired girl before turning to her team at large. "Really, it will give us a chance to talk. Um, when and where do we wanna meet up?"

"Back here for dinner?" Glory proposed.

She was met by a chorus of assents, some more reluctant than others. The siblings bade their farewells before heading outside and along the sidewalk.

Glory had left her cloak with her partner, finally giving Pip a chance to take a good look at her older sister. She was perhaps a couple of inches shorter than her, but with just as lanky a frame as herself. The limbs exposed by the short-sleeved dark purple blouse were not as muscular, though she looked as if she could easily hold her own in a fight. The black leggings, crisscrossed by several belts draped across her hips, did nothing to conceal powerful leg muscles that bunched as she walked, likely honed by years of running through the streets.

"Are you checking out my ass?" Glory inquired mildly without turning her way.

"What? No!" Pip squawked, though she ceased her sputtering when she saw the teasing smirk on her sister's face, the exact same one that she knew she often bore herself around her friends. "Damn, that's eerie," the younger blonde laughed. "Seriously, like looking in a mirror."

"Yeah, I'm starting to pick up on that as well," her sister murmured. "Plenty of differences, though."

"Well, yeah. Nice ink, by the way."

"Thanks," Glory grinned. Her short sleeves showed off vines winding around her left arm and a stylized dagger on the other forearm. The bright purple Morning Glory on the side of her neck was facing her, contrasting nicely with the purple of her blouse. "You got any?"

"Pfft, nah. That requires money."

"Well, yeah, but… How do you even afford Beacon?"

"Government program."

"Huh. Handy, that."

Pip nodded genially, her head remaining on a swivel as she kept her coral eyes roaming. "Doesn't leave me much, just what I can pick up from Grimm bounties. Not that I need much, really."

Her sister nodded as well in response, seemingly staring straight forward but Pip could tell that she was acutely aware of her surroundings. As they turned a corner, the blonde got a glimpse of a pair of handles just barely protruding from behind her sister's waist.

"So what weapons do you have there?" she asked curiously.

"Just a pair of daggers." Glory shrugged. "Nothing fancy, but they work well enough."

"Gotcha."

"Nice sword you got, though."

"Thanks. I call her _Odachi Dahlia_. She's a sniper rifle as well."

"Hmm."

The younger blonde scratched absently at the back of her neck. "And then what about your semblance, I'm guessing it's some sorta invisibility?"

Glory nodded levelly. "That's right, only lasts for a minute at best, but it's gotten me out of a lotta tight places." Her grin turned somewhat lopsided. "Of course, it doesn't work so well against Faunus."

"Cool…"

"Yup."

Pip sighed softly. _Well, I think we've exhausted all the small talk I can think of, save for the weather… Oh, well, here's one._

"So…" The rangy armored girl glanced aside at her sister. "You and Tim, huh?"

"What? No, no way," Glory laughed. The sound was quite similar to her own, if a little raspier. "No, Tim and I, we're partners and friends, nothing more. I'm more along the lines of that cute couple in your team. The Faunus girl and the little blue-haired one, what were their names again?"

"Evie and Beryl. Um… So, exclusively into girls, huh?"

"Yep. You?"

"Nope, I prefer guys myself."

"Cool." They walked for another minute in silence before Glory spoke up again. "Anybody you're seeing?"

"Nope." Pip pushed aside the familiar ache, duller now from having the summer to mourn the loss of Rufus, and kept her voice light. "How about you?"

"Eh, a few flings here and there, nothing serious."

"Mmhmm."

Glory cleared her throat as they paused outside what looked to be a nondescript warehouse. "So does this feel as awkward to you as it does to me?"

"Fuck, yes," Pip groaned.

The siblings shared a brief laugh as they stood a couple of feet from each other. light coral eyes meeting bright sapphire ones.

"I really have a sister," Glory mused wonderingly.

"Seems that way," Pip agreed, her own marvel at the idea still lacing her voice.

The elder blonde sibling gave her a slow nod. "Well, let's get through this one meeting, and on the way to the next I'll tell you what I know."

"Still don't trust me, do ya?" the younger one grinned.

Glory paused and shot her a mirrored grin. "Trust is hard to come by. Let's just say I'm willing to give you a chance. Keep your mouth shut in here and just back me up, okay?"

"You got it, sis," Pip nodded.

The other blonde paused again with her hand on the door handle, her sardonic grin changing slightly into something a little more speculative. "Okay… sis."

Pip followed her sister into the cavernous warehouse, dimly lit only by the windows overhead. It was getting towards lunchtime, but she was still content from the large breakfast earlier. The passageway they strode down was lined with tall shelves stuffed with unmarked boxes of various sizes. She trailed behind a step, keeping to Glory's right shoulder, but left her sword sheathed.

_So, going for the intimidating bodyguard look, I guess… I got an inkling whatever she's here for, it ain't exactly legal…_

Part of her was a bit troubled that she might be getting herself into the shadier side of Vale, but she'd certainly brushed up against the underbelly of the city often enough while growing up.

She smiled slightly just before they entered the main part of the building. _Wonder if I might have crossed paths with her before, not even knowing?_

"You're late," a low voice called out from a folding chair set before a card table that was set up in the junction of shelf-lined corridors. An elderly but fit-looking man in a black suit and red tie sat there, idly counting out stacks of lien while other forms stood nearby. Pip's gaze traveled around, picking out the figures in the shadows easily. _Right, so no real aura users except for this guy, but I'm sure they've got guns on hand._

"I'm always late," Glory scoffed in return. She came to a halt several paces from the table, Pip remaining a pace behind but taking a step further to the side, arms loose at her sides.

"You're later than usual," the man amended, looking over Pip warily. "New partner?"

"Something like that," Glory murmured offhandedly. "So, you got the goods already, right?"

"I did," he nodded.

"And the payment?"

The man watched her for several heartbeats. "You were late on delivery, too."

Glory shrugged, unconcerned. "Again, nothing new. You knew that coming in."

"And Raymond?" The man's dark eyes took on a dangerously glittering aspect.

"Nothing he didn't deserve."

Pip didn't let a frown cross her features, but she was getting a little tired of only following half of the conversation. _Who the Dust is Raymond? And why do I get the feeling this meetup just got a whole lot less friendly?_

"Well," the man stated quietly. "You left him with a broken hand."

Glory's smirk widened. "He put it where it didn't belong."

"Be that as it may, I'm a firm believer in retribution on an equal level."

One of the shadows behind them stirred and approached. Pip glanced over, one eyebrow raised questioningly, which Glory returned with a slight nod.

_Yay, finally I get to have some fun!_

The man that approached was rather large and bulky, but he didn't move like a fighter, rather as a person used to intimidating people through his size alone. Pip was more than willing to disabuse him of such hubris.

While he was still several steps away, Pip turned suddenly and lunged, grasping the extended forearm and giving it a twist. The thug howled as his bones creaked from the aura-assisted hold, but the blonde didn't leave him that way for long. Spinning, she delivered a roundhouse kick to the hunched man's jaw, dropping him like a sack of flour.

"Really, Davis," her sister intoned in a bored-sounding voice, not even bothering to turn around. "Is this necessary?"

The man, Davis, lurched to his feet, narrowly missing pitching the table over. His aquiline features were pinched in anger. "Drop that bitch," he snarled.

 _Whelp, kid gloves are off._ Pip drew her beloved greatsword in a quick motion but left it in a high guard. With a brief pulse of her aura, she activated the red dust in her system and sent it along her arms. The veins glowed a dull red that showed up rather well in the dim warehouse, though they were soon outshined by the flames that licked along the edge of her sword.

Glory glanced over her shoulder, eyeing the ignited sword held aloft. "You sure you don't wanna just pay me off so we can leave?" she asked the man mildly.

Davis had quickly changed his tune, recoiling from the display. "Y- Yeah, okay, fine, here's your payout, just… Just leave, alright?"

Glory accepted the stack, taking her time to count the notes, before giving him a winning smile. "Thanks for the business, Davis!"

The blonde Beacon student snorted softly as she doused the flames, twirling _Odachi Dahlia_ a few times to cool it off before slipping it back in the sheath across her back. As the two sisters departed, the other figures shrank away slightly.

"Don't you bring that freaky bitch back here next time, you hear me, Glory?" the man shouted at their retreating backs.

"Yeah, yeah," she replied with an airy wave of her hand over her shoulder, not bothering to look back.

Once they were outside, Glory turned towards Pip with a wide grin on her face. "Oum's bloody balls, that was so much fun! I've always wanted to put that smug bastard in his place!"

Pip snickered, stretching her arms over her head. "Please, I've faced down much scarier, those guys weren't even in the same league as those Dragon losers back in Mistral."

"Um." Glory blinked her eyes uncertainly. "You went up against the Black Dragons?"

"Yep," she replied cheerfully, swinging her arms back down. "Kicked their asses, too. That's how I met our cousin, Merri."

"Right…"

"So, out of curiosity, who's Raymond?"

Glory gave herself a shake and let her customary sardonic grin slip into place once more. "Raymond Davis, Junior, as in that guy's only son. Also, a grabby little prick who shoulda known better than to touch my ass."

Throwing her head back and barking out a loud laugh, Pip continued on her walk with Glory.

After a block, Glory slowed her pace and glanced over at her younger sibling. "So, you wanna know about how I ended up where I did?"

"I'd like to, yeah," Pip replied with a soft smile. "If nothing else, it'd help with tracking mom down."

"Mom…" The other blonde shook her head. "Hard to believe I might even have one… And yet here I am, walking along with my badass little sister. Not how I imagined today would go when I woke up."

They rounded a corner, pressing further into the streets of downtown Vale. The crowds grew denser as they progressed into the business district, but the distinctive pair of blondes were able to easily navigate and still remain shoulder-to-shoulder.

"So I don't really know anything about where I came from," Glory finally began softly, just loud enough to carry over the ambient sounds of the city as office workers scurried to return to their businesses after lunch. "I remember woods, walking through them… but not how I got there. Don't really remember how long I was in those woods, either, just that I was real hungry. Only possession I had was this worn little book of nursery rhymes that had my full name inside of it. Couldn't read it on my own yet, but I liked the pictures." She smiled slightly in remembrance. "And then this group of Faunus came by, heading for Vale through the woods. They were smugglers, and readily took me along, fed and protected me, taught me how to look after myself."

Glory paused by a street vendor selling sticks of meat that were sizzling on a grill. She held up two fingers and passed along a low-denomination lien note to the elderly brunette Cat Faunus, who exchanged it for a pair of the skewers. She passed one to Pip who murmured her thanks before they continued on.

Grinning around her bite of meat, Pip reflected that she hadn't had one of these since she started at Signal all those years ago. Slightly spicy but full of flavor, you never asked where the meat came from. It didn't matter, really, because the taste made you unwilling to determine its origins.

"That's where I met Tim, actually," Glory mumbled around her own bite, holding one hand under to catch the juice that ran down her chin, much as it did Pip's. "We stuck together after we got to Vale, grew up together on the streets. Consider him a brother more than a partner, but don't tell him I said that."

Pip swallowed her bite with a grin. "My lips are sealed. Greasy, but sealed. 'Sides which, I'm easily bribed by a Rat Poker."

Her sister barked out a quick laugh. "Oh, yeah, shoulda figured you'd have had one of these before… Great, ain't they?"

"The best," Pip grinned widely. "So that's really all you had to work with, huh? Your name from a book, and wandering in the woods…"

"Yep, that's it," Glory agreed. "Don't know why you'd even need to go off of my own memories, though, haven't you been back to the orphanage yet?"

The younger blonde paused and blinked her coral eyes uncertainly. "Why would I go back there?"

"Well, you're eighteen now, right?" Glory gave her arm a tug to move them along once more, careful to use her non-greasy hand. "They can give you the details on how you got there, like who dropped you off and all that."

"I didn't… I had no idea." Pip's mind was awhirl with the information she'd just gleaned, it never even have occurred to her that as an adult now she could read her own file. "Oum, I gotta go visit them…"

"Hey, not so fast, now," Glory chuckled. "They'll be around tomorrow, and it's gettin' close to when their office would be closing anyways, I'll bet. 'Sides, I've still got you for the afternoon."

"Okay," Pip nodded with a grin. "Tomorrow, then. So what's up next?"

"Well…" Glory began to tick items off on her hand. "Lesse, I got two assassinations, a robbery lined up, oh, and there's a shopkeeper that needs a shakedown."

The younger blonde stopped in her tracks, staring at her sister incredulously. Glory only lasted a half minute before she erupted in laughter.

"Oh, fucking Dust, the look on your face," she wheezed merrily. "Seriously, Pip, I'm not that bad, okay?"

Pip shook her head ruefully, long blonde ponytail swinging over her shoulder. "Well, I wasn't gonna judge any… Maybe the assassination thing, but…"

Glory snorted another laugh as they continued on. "I facilitate property as it changes ownership."

"Uh-huh. Sounds like a fancy way of calling yourself a thief."

"Eh, you say potato… Anyways, we only have one more stop before we can head back and meet the others."

"So, then, where is it?"

"Here." Glory pulled them to a halt outside of a ramshackle-looking church, set into the end of a row of townhouses just on the outskirts of the commercial district they'd passed through. Pip noted a sign that pointed along the alley, indicating the existence of a soup kitchen down that way. Several men and women, predominantly Faunus, were already lined up along the brick wall.

"You… volunteer at a soup kitchen?" she asked incredulously.

Glory held a finger to her lips, sapphire blue eyes twinkling merrily as the late afternoon sun shone off of her golden earrings. "Shhh. I have a rep to maintain."

"Gotcha." Pip grinned as she followed the older blonde down the alley, several of those in line calling out to her in a friendly manner.

_Yeah, I got one awesome sister. How about that?_

**Downtown Vale  
** **Next Morning**

Pip groaned, swatting ineffectually at the sunlight that shone upon her and disturbing her sleep. Her head pounded and her blonde hair was plastered across her face from the drool.

She screwed her eyes up and pulled the pillow over her head, trying to recall the events of the previous night to track down the cause of her hellacious hangover.

_We spent the afternoon at the soup kitchen, then met back up with the others at the bar… Ate, drank… drank some more, swapped stories, told her about my semblance and the dust infusion, and Vytal… Wait, was there another bar? Maybe, I remember Evie and Beryl saying they'd never bar-hopped before… I teased Lustre because she_ _**had** _ _done it before…_

_Tequila shots? A contest of some sort?_

_And then back to… Right, not the motel, Glory's place, along with Lustre and Beryl and Evie and Tim…_

_Tim…_

Her eyes shot open as several things became terrifyingly clear to her sluggish brain.

Firstly, she was stark naked under the covers.

Secondly, she was not alone in the bed.

Dreading what she might see, Pip slowly pulled the pillow down and turned her head. Tousled raven hair, topped by a pair of twitching wolf ears, came into view first followed by slightly wild-looking amber eyes.

Tim cleared his throat. "Um, so."

Pip squeezed her eyes shut, then reopened them. _Shit. Still there._

"Yeah," she whispered.

"I think we…"

"Yeah, yeah I think we did."

"Well. Fuck."

"Exactly."

The both of them turned and flopped onto their backs, staring up at the ceiling.

"Your room?" Pip asked quietly.

"Yup."

"You ever clean it?"

"Oh, bite me, blondie."

She grinned slightly, turning her head once more. "I think I already took care of that. Nice hickey you got."

"What? Shit…"

Tim bounced out of bed to stand in front of a mirror atop a rather cluttered dresser. "How the fuck am I gonna play this off…"

Pip coughed lightly as she sat up, the sheets tucked around her torso, and very adamantly _not_ looking at the naked man's posterior.

Well, she might have snuck a quick peek.

"Glory can't know about this," the blonde pleaded quietly.

"Oh, no shit," Tim muttered, digging into his dresser. "She'd go fucking ballistic... "

"So glad we agree," Pip snarked, rummaging around for her own clothing. She found what she could and quickly shrugged them on, deciding she'd leave off on hunting for her bra. But then just as she got her halter top back on, she spied it hanging from the corner of the mirror that Tim was standing in front of, now mostly dressed with a black turtleneck shirt and jeans.

"Excuse me," she stated lightly, reaching over and flipping the black lacy bra off of the edge. She paused in close proximity of the man, eyes nervously flicking over to his. They were of matching height, near enough, if you didn't account for the ears currently flattened against his head.

"For the record," Pip murmured as she turned around. "You're still an ass."

"Never claimed otherwise," Tim muttered under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear, but then raised his voice again. "So we agree, then? We never, ever speak of this again?"

"Works for me."

Once she was situated, she cautiously opened the bedroom door. Right outside was a small kitchenette and living room, with another closed door across from Tim's. On a ratty couch against the wall was the sleeping form of Lustre.

She slipped out, padding on bare feet, and quickly found her armor and boots in the corner. Grimacing, she carefully shifted things around a bit to make more of a reclining area. Glancing over, she watched Tim move into the kitchen to put coffee on.

"Um… do you have any tea?" Pip asked meekly.

The raven-haired man paused and regarded her neutrally. "Yeah, I think so. What, you not a coffee drinker?'

"It's for Lustre," she explained with a nod of her head.

He nodded wordlessly and turned around again, pulling out a dented tea kettle. As he set it in the sink to fill, the other door opened to reveal a widely-yawning Glory in a worn and ragged lavender nightshirt.

"Mornin'," she mumbled, closing the door behind her. "Coffee?"

"Almost," Tim grunted without turning around.

"Hey, Glory," Pip called out from where she sat cross-legged on the floor.

"Oh, hey, um, Pip," her sister replied, looking a bit befuddled. "Didja sleep on the floor?"

"Yep, sure did," the younger blonde grinned as she lied through her teeth. "Wasn't too uncomfortable, really."

Lustre sat up suddenly, looking around in momentary confusion. "Where are we?" she asked calmly, silver hair artfully tousled as always.

"Hey, babe, we're at Glory's apartment. And Tim's," she added belatedly. The Wolf Faunus gave a grunt of acknowledgment from the stove.

"I see," Lustre murmured. "And where are Evie and Beryl?"

Glory smirked as she stepped back and pushed her door back open again. Evie and Beryl, the both of them looking a bit flustered and sleepy, were sitting on the edge of the bed in there, holding hands.

Pip looked between her smug-looking older sister and her two abashed-looking friends. "Did… Did… Did you sleep with my teammates?" she sputtered.

"Relax, I behaved myself," the older blonde laughed. "Not that they didn't offer," she amended thoughtfully.

"What?" Evie practically shrieked, while Beryl buried her blushing face in her hands. "We most certainly did _not_!"

"Sure thing, cutie," Glory chuckled. She moved around the corner and into the kitchen, but continued over her shoulder. "Lemme know if you ever do want a threesome when you're sober, I'm not one to take advantage of girls like that."

"A _what_ now?" Evie leapt from the bed, her clothing twisted about and in as much disarray as her hair was. "We're not… I mean, we don't…" She opened and closed her mouth indignantly before finally managing to utter loudly, "We just started having sex!"

" _Evieeee_ …" Beryl muffled and mortified groan sounded from where she remained on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry, I just…" Evie spun around, first looking at her girlfriend before regarding their host wildly. "Wait, we didn't… actually _do_ anything with you in the room, did we?"

Glory didn't respond, only sipped smugly from her cup of coffee.

"Dust," Beryl sighed, flopping back against the bed. "I am never drinking again."

Lustre smiled gently as Pip levered herself off the floor to plop on the couch next to her. "Well, we _did_ anticipate this summer would be an adventure," the silver-haired girl opined.

The blonde team leader shook her head ruefully, watching a very humiliated-looking Cat Faunus slink back into Glory's bedroom to curl up next to her girlfriend.

"Yeah, I suppose we did," she agreed. _Maybe a little more adventurous than I'd imagined, though..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New players have entered the stage! And right before we end this, too. So as far as a schedule goes, I'm placing my other works on hold temporarily. Gave me the time to finish this chapter up, and then I have just one more to do. I decided to close things out in two longer chapters rather than four smaller ones, just so I could properly end this story. So now that we've met Glory and Tim, and Pip has more clues leading her towards her mother, the finale will wrap up the search, one way or another.


	34. Storm

**Volume 3  
**

**Lillyhaven Orphanage  
** **Edge of Vale City**

Pip's leg bounced nervously as she sat in the chair of an office she hadn't seen in over six years. The last time she was there was to officially accept the government program's offer to attend the local combat schools, and from then on she was a ward of Vale itself rather than the orphanage.

Granted, she'd seen the interior of that office plenty of times before that. She was always a troublesome child, according to her custodians. The blonde smirked slightly to herself. _At least with that I haven't changed a whole lot._

"Relax," the person in the other chair murmured.

She blew out a breath and glanced over at the occupied chair next to her. Her entire team had come along, as had her sister and Tim, but she was only permitted one person to accompany her inside the orphanage. It was a harder choice than she'd imagined it would be, but still only took her the span of a heartbeat to make it.

"You do know how much I appreciate you being here, right, babe?" she responded warmly.

Her partner gave her a wide smile, the Faunus ears atop her head twitching at every noise that emanated from the old building. "And I appreciate you asking, sweetie, even before your own sister."

Pip laughed lightly, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "Glory understands. I just found her, but I'm closer to you than anyone on Remnant."

The Cat Faunus' smile wavered a little bit as her sapphire blue eyes teared up slightly. "Yeah, I love you too."

"Don't go all mushy on me, kitty cat," the rangy blonde giggled. "Else your Mate will come barging in, wondering why you're all upset. Likely blame me for it."

"That's 'cause it's usually your fault," Evie laughed.

"Dork."

"Brat."

The two friends shared another happy grin before the door opened, causing them both to whirl around in anticipation. An elderly woman in a navy blue dress walked in, closing the door behind her.

"Well, well, Oum bless me, if it isn't Pippin Cerise," the older woman wheezed as she levered herself into the chair behind the study desk. "I didn't believe them up front, that you would actually return here."

"Um, hello, Miss Umber." Pip's smile grew a bit wan as she felt like an awkward and gangly preteen once more just by being in her presence. "Been awhile."

"Indeed. And my blood pressure has been admirably stable ever since."

Evie snorted softly, covering up the grin on her face with her hand. "Sorry," she mumbled, though her twinkling eyes relayed that she was anything but.

The blonde shot her an amused glare before facing forward again. "So, I don't want to take up too much of your time, Miss Umber, but I was wondering… um… that is, can I look at my file?"

The woman across the desk tilted her silver-maned head slightly to the side, the tightly-coiffed curls not budging one iota. "And why would you need to do that?"

"Well…" Pip cleared her throat before taking a fortifying breath as Evie clasped her hand reassuringly. "You see, as it turns out, I have family after all. I found some over in Mistral after I found out about my mom still being alive, and… and I found my sister, Glory, right here in Vale." She knew her smile was wavering slightly with an uncharacteristic nervousness, desperately wishing that her past escapades in the orphanage wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass. She _needed_ this woman's cooperation, even with as much angst as she'd caused her. "So, please, can I see in my file how I got here when I was a baby?"

Umber blinked her eyes owlishly at her for a few moments before leaning back in her chair. "I do believe you were the most spirited child ever to cross our doorstep," she began quietly, hazel eyes not giving anything away. "Stories are still told to new staff members of your exploits. Miss Olive actually worked you into our training manuals."

"Um… thanks?" the blonde laughed hesitantly, her free hand rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"The thing is," the woman continued as if Pip hadn't spoken, "we've all been following your exploits ever since. Your achievements at Beacon, and at the Vytal Festival… Well. We are all… _I_ am very proud of you, Pippin."

"Oh," she breathed, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. "Thank you, Miss Umber."

The woman gave her a kindly smile, one she'd never seen before on the wizened face. "You are quite welcome. And who is this with you today, I do believe I recognize her from your team, yes?"

"Oh! Yes, ma'am, this is Evie Black, my partner and very best friend."

Evie gave a small wave with the hand not currently clasping Pip's. "Hello!"

"A pleasure. Now, if you would wait one moment, I'll be right back with your file."

After Umber left, the raven-haired girl turned with a grin. "See? And you were worried."

"I swear that woman has shrunk," Pip murmured wonderingly. "And I think she used to breathe fire or something."

"Sounds like you gave her reason to."

"Yeah…" Pip gave a small, guilty laugh. "There was this one staff member, Miss Robin… I think I made her quit."

"Whatever did you do to cause the poor woman to leave?" Evie grinned.

"Well… there might have been a cherrybomb I smuggled in, somehow got flushed down the toilet…" Pip looked down at the floor, abashed. "How was I to know she was gonna use the restroom right afterwards?"

"Oh my Oum, Pip," the Faunus girl laughed merrily, leaning against her shoulder. "You really were a terror, weren't you?"

"Maybe a little bit," the blonde wryly conceded. They both looked up as Umber entered the room again, perusing a faded manila folder in her hands.

"Well, the writing is a bit worn…" The older woman looked up as she sat. "Would it be alright if I relay to you the gist of it?"

"That would be fine, thank you, ma'am," Pip nodded quickly.

"Very well then… So it would seem that the original group of travelers who brought you to the orphanage were the second ones to convey you… The first, as it would appear, was an old man who they came across, dying from his wounds. The report here says that they looked to be from a Grimm, and that he had a tiny, squalling baby in his arms." Umber looked up at Pip. "With his last breath, he told them your name, and the name of the village he'd escaped from."

"Really?" Pip asked excitedly. "Where? Um, please, ma'am."

Umber smiled slightly. "It was a village called Miranda."

**Ruins of Miranda  
** **Western Outskirts of Vale**

Pip stood in the middle of what would once have been the main street of the village. There wasn't much left, really, as nature had been doing an admirable job of reclaiming the ruins over the past eighteen years. Tall grass and dense shrubbery choked the avenues, making it rather slow going as her team, along with Glory and Tim, navigated the remains of what had been a rather moderately-sized settlement.

"I don't even know where to begin." the blonde murmured somewhat hopelessly.

"Well, it's not like we have anywhere to be," Beryl replied with muted cheer, poking her sword into a pile of rubble nearby. "We could maybe split up in pairs, go through what might have been houses once…"

"Hey, G, you okay?" Tim suddenly called out quietly.

Pip turned to see her sister, swaying in place with a hand to her forehead. Her eyes were screwed shut, and didn't reopen when her Wolf Faunus partner briefly placed a steadying hand on her back.

"Glory?" the blonde team leader murmured. "Do you… remember something?"

"I think so…" the other blonde breathed. "Just… flashes, really, running through streets…" Her sapphire blue eyes opened suddenly as her hand shot out to point at a towering oak that bordered what was left of the village walls. "I remember climbing that tree, someone had to help me 'cause I was too small… A man, big hands and…" She shot a look over at her sister. "Light red eyes, just like yours."

"Dad," Pip smiled, stepping over to place a hand on Glory's shoulder. "Anything else?"

"Um… Something like a market I think? Lots of stalls, colors, noises… I think folk like farmers would come in and sell their stuff…" Glory began to move, her steps slow and somewhat faltering. "This way."

The other five followed her lead, around a tree valiantly trying to grow out of the rubble of what might have once been a storefront. The place was eerily quiet, no animal sounds at all, but absent the chill Pip would expect to register from her aura if Grimm were nearby.

"It's like a tomb," Evie finally whispered, hand tightly clasped with her girlfriend's.

"It is _exactly_ like a tomb," Lustre murmured in reply. None of them wanted to break the silence, feeling it disrespectful to do so. So many lives had been lost, so many graves they were now walking across. To the members of Team PERL, they were starkly reminded of their visit to the underground caverns of Mountain Glen with Ruby Rose.

"Here." Glory paused at a clearing that had several fruit trees growing out of it. The ground was littered with decaying fruit, the sickly-sweet smell cloyingly sticking to the back of everyone's throat. "Yeah, here, this was… And I remember coming here, holding hands with tall people… And then…"

The short-haired blonde turned in a circle, her blue eyes wide with recalled memories. "Oh," she breathed. "I think… yeah, this way…."

She took off once more, her steps more sure and stride longer. The others had to hurry to keep up, but eventually, at the edge of the former settlement, they stopped at a small lump of rubble, fairly indistinguishable from the others.

Tim stepped forward, his brow furrowed. "You think this is it, G?"

"I think so… yeah, we were next to a gate, I remember sitting on a porch here, waiting for… for dad to come home from wherever he was… adventuring…" Glory smiled softly, her eyes now half-lidded. "He'd come back with a treat, and rub my head… Called me his 'little flower'..."

Pip was the first to see the tear trickle down her sister's cheek and was quick to fold her into a hug. "I know," she murmured.

"Just being here," Glory mumbled roughly. "I can remember stuff I never did before… Pip, I think… I think I remember you, a tiny little thing, I wanted to play with you but you were too small, dad said I had to be patient and let you get big so you could run after me… Oh… I- I- I remember a woman now, dad said I got my eyes from her, she was…" The other blonde sniffled as she buried her face in Pip's armored shoulder. "She was beautiful."

"Like mother like daughters," her sister returned, earning a short laugh. Glory stood back up and wiped her cheeks.

"Okay, pretty damn sure this is the place. Let's get digging."

It took them the better part of the day to dig through the rubble, carefully so as not to disturb what might be underneath. Fortunately, it had just been a single-story structure, perhaps only one or two bedrooms, and with that in mind, they started at the front, hoping to come across the living area first.

Lustre was the first to uncover something of significance, letting out a soft cry as she unburied something shiny with the hand trowel they had brought along. Tim, Pip, and Beryl had been using the three larger shovels while the others worked down a little more delicately.

"Whatcha got there, babe?" Pip called out. She dropped her shovel to the side and wiped the sweat from her brow. She and Beryl had shed their armor long ago in a nearby pile.

"I think… Yes." The silver-haired girl stood triumphantly as she brushed dirt off with her hand from the rectangular object. "It is a picture frame."

"Really?" Glory asked, her voice bubbling with excitement as she hurried over. The normally cynical woman had been becoming more and more comfortable with the group, especially her sister, and so her smiles were less sardonic and more genuine as the day progressed. Pip joined her side as Lustre handed the object over with a happy nod.

The frame was weathered and cracked, but the glass remained intact. Inside was a faded photo of an unfamiliar family of four standing in front of what appeared to be a rustic-looking wood cabin.

"Who is this?" the elder blonde murmured.

Her sister shook her head slowly. "Doesn't look familiar, except… Well, they all have blond hair and my eyes, except for the mother, so maybe related somehow? On dad's side?"

"Hmm." Glory flipped the picture over and carefully pried the back off. "Aha!" she chirped victoriously. "Yeah, there's no last names, but look at this one…"

Pip grinned widely as she ran her eyes down the names written in smudged ink. "Allen, that was dad's name! And what's this, an address of some sort? Is this in Atlas?"

"Huh. Maybe his family came from there?"

"Could be." Pip grunted as she stood upright and stretched. "Well, I guess we should keep-"

"I found another!" Lustre called out excitedly.

"Okay," Evie sighed as she sagged against the pile of detritus they'd been excavating. Her Faunus ears were wearily flattened against her head. "I vote we let Lustre finish up here."

Beryl snorted out a laugh as she plopped down next to her lover, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Maybe just a break, huh?"

"Oh, fine, fine…"

Meanwhile, the siblings were gathered around the dark-skinned girl as she carefully wrested another picture frame out. "I imagine where we are now could have been the wall of the living area," she opined softly, handing it up before resuming her excavation efforts. "Where the family photos were hung."

"Makes sense, babe," Pip grinned. "Thanks for this, by the way, all of you. In case I didn't mention it before."

"You didn't," Tim snarked. "And you can thank me with beers."

The younger blonde absentmindedly flipped him off as she shook the dirt from the frame, causing the others to laugh. Glory held one edge as they dusted it off until they both paused in shock.

"Oh…" Pip breathed.

It was a family photo, taken fairly recently after Pip's birth. She was just a tiny bundle in the arms of the woman she recognized as her mother, Jewel Cerise, though here she seemed far happier, even having been through labor a short while ago. Allen Cerise sat at her side, with a small blonde girl, blue eyes sparkling with barely-restrained glee, on his lap.

"You were a cute kid," Pip smirked.

Glory laughed quietly. "Yeah… This is… Wow."

"Here," her sister said softly. "You keep this one."

"What? No, I…" Glory chewed on her bottom lip briefly. "Tell you what, I know a guy who does photography for a living, I can get him to touch it up and make copies. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Pip grinned happily.

"So, this photographer," Tim chuckled from where he leaned on his shovel. "He wouldn't be Linnie, would he?"

"Yes, Tim," the older blonde replied with a roll of her eyes.

"As in, Linnie the forger."

"Yes. Tim."

"Well, he's definitely good at his job. Could even replace the faces in there if you want."

Glory scowled in his direction. "Remind me why I haven't shivved you yet?"

"My winning personality?"

"No, pretty damn sure you can't use something that doesn't exist as a valid reason…"

Pip snorted softly as she crouched down next to Lustre. She and Tim had held to their pact to not discuss the prior night, but while she still considered him to be an obnoxious ass… He was starting to grow on her a bit.

 _Kinda like a fungus,_ she grinned to herself.

"I have some here that are very damaged," Lustre murmured as she laboriously pulled a few tattered scraps of paper and glass shards out. "But I do believe I can see another intact one below."

"Here, lemme help," the blonde grunted. She helped hold back some of the debris while picking out the glass shards, careful to fortify the skin on her hands with aura. Eventually, they'd cleared out enough to pull another photo out, this one a bit larger, perhaps the size of a serving platter.

"Glory, take a look at this," she exclaimed after brushing off the dirt.

"Oh! Is that their wedding picture?"

"Yeah, looks like it, but see the building behind them?"

Glory leaned over, her eyes squinted. "Um. It looks like… Oh, okay, that's from the first picture, where he grew up."

"Right." Pip sat back upon her haunches, coral eyes gleaming with excitement. "Okay, so here's what I think. Allen Cerise grew up in Atlas. For whatever reason, they moved down to Vale. Then he goes to Haven in Mistral where he meets Jewel Arc, mom."

"Well, they were just all over the place, weren't they," her sister murmured. "I mean, from what you told me, mom was originally from Mistral, but then her family moved to Vale."

"Right," Pip nodded with an unabating grin. "So that might've been how they bonded, both being from Vale and going to Haven. Anyways, so something up at that old place in Atlas was significant enough to dad, or mom, or maybe both, that they went up there for their wedding."

"Perhaps more family?" Lustre opined from where she sat, cross-legged, as she took a break as well.

"Could be, I dunno. Anyways, what's important is that _this_ was important." Pip stood upright, hands on hips. "And if mom won't stick around in Vale or Mistral…"

"Then maybe she's staying up there in Atlas," Glory finished for her, wearing a matching grin.

Pip reached out and grabbed hold of her sister's hand, giving it a squeeze. "It's a long shot, but as good a notion as anything else we've come up with."

**En Route to Atlas**

The small group had remained at the house digging until it was close to nightfall. They didn't find much else of use, no more pictures, and anything written on paper had been destroyed by time and the elements. Eventually, they gave up on the endeavor as most of the ruin had been cleared and, not wanting to tempt fate or Grimm at night, they returned to Vale once more.

Some research over the CCT collaborated a few of their findings and assumptions. The Cerise family did move to Vale when Allen was still a little boy, though none of his family was still alive. And the location itself was on the outskirts of Atlas, near enough to the wilds to be rather hazardous for travel. That, coupled with the fact that the funds of Team PERL were running a bit low, led Pip to make a call on her scroll.

Hence their very comfortable traveling arrangement aboard an SDC corporate airship on the way to Atlas.

"I could get used to this," Glory chuckled as she plopped into the seat across from Pip. There was a small table in between them where tumblers of whiskey sat. The younger blonde had been eyeing hers warily, unsure if she should partake of alcohol so soon after the debacle two nights ago, but Glory was more than willing to take up the slack.

"Yep," Pip grinned. "Felt kinda bad taking advantage of our friendship with Frost, but I think I can handle the guilt. At least my ass will be happier with me."

"Too right," her sister chuckled once more. The pair of them glanced around the cabin. Tim was towards the back, stretched out with his feet crossed at the ankles and seemingly asleep, while Evie and Beryl were snuggled up together towards the front. Lustre sat with them, conversing quietly.

"So, hey, I got another call to make," Pip suddenly spoke up. "Wanna listen in?"

"Um, sure, I suppose so…" Glory leaned forward as Pip did, eyeing the scroll she'd held up as it accessed a number. Soon enough, a cheery face with bright blue eyes and framed by long red hair came on.

"Pip!" the other girl chirped excitedly. "I've been waiting to hear from you, how have- OH MY OUM IS THAT GLORY? YOU FOUND GLORY?"

"Yes, Merri," Pip snickered, wincing at the volume from her exuberant cousin. "This is Glory. Glory, Merri Arc."

"This is so cool!" the redhead squealed. By the motions of the background, she was evidently jumping up and down. "I'm so excited to meet another cousin! Oh my Oum, this is so cool!"

"You mentioned that," Glory returned dryly. "Um, yeah, good to meet you, too."

"So, Merri," the younger sister broke in before their cousin could make a further attempt to shatter their eardrums. "You wanna meet her in person?"

" _DO I?!_ "

"I'll take that as a yes," Pip laughed. "So, we're heading up to Atlas, hopefully where mom is, but it's a bit out in the wilderness. Could use a huntress along as an escort."

"Yes!" The view on the scroll went haywire for a moment before the redhead reappeared. "Oops, sorry, almost dropped my scroll! But yeah, I'd love to come! Where do I meet you?"

Pip took a moment to give Merri the address of where they would be staying at the Schnee private dwelling where Frost had taken up residence. It was reportedly far less ostentatious than the compound they had invaded before the summer, but with plenty of rooms to house everyone.

She neglected to tell her cousin who actually owned the address she'd be meeting them at, figuring on having a little fun with her first.

After another round of ecstatic squealing, and promises to see them soon, Pip put her scroll face-down on the table surface with a fond smile.

"She's a little… excitable," the younger blonde conceded. "But a really great person, and a fantastic fighter as well."

" _Excitable_ is one word for it," Glory grinned sardonically. "She sounds a tad hyper, actually. I don't know if I can handle quite that much chipperness."

"Eh, she grows on you," Pip shrugged, taking a cautious sip of her whiskey.

"Speaking of which…" Glory cleared her throat and leaned forward, dropping her voice accordingly. "Let's talk about you and Tim."

Pip began coughing as she swallowed her drink wrong. "What do you mean?" she eventually wheezed, eyes wide and panicked.

The older blonde sighed humorously. "I was the only one relatively sober last night, it's why we went back to my place."

"Oh. So you know about..." Pip grimaced, looking down at the floor abashedly. "Um, sorry, I just… I don't really remember…"

"Hey, I'm not gonna judge you or anything." Glory gave her a wan smile. "Look, like I said before, he's like a brother, and as much as we argue, he means the world to me. Kinda how you feel about your girls there."

"Okay…"

"Tim's not that bad a guy, really. He's got this… prickly exterior to cover up his own feelings." Glory sat back and regarded her little sister warmly. "Just… give him a chance, okay?"

Pip frowned as she sat back as well with her arms crossed. "We'll see," she mumbled unconvincingly.

"Not trying to push you into anything." Glory held her hands up defensively. "Just keep an open mind, yeah?"

"Yeah… I'll try."

**Schnee Private Residence  
** **Downtown Atlas**

"It is good to see you ladies," the regally-dressed Frost greeted the group at the door.

"Hi, Frost!" Evie cheered, giving her a warm hug. "Been awhile!"

"Well, it won't be quite as long the next time," their host stated, her pale blue eyes twinkling as she stepped back to allow them to enter. "Headmaster Ozpin gave me the job."

"Really?" Beryl laughed happily. "So you're gonna be our new combat instructor?"

"Mmhmm," the platinum-haired woman nodded. "And do not think I will go easy on you all just because of our friendship."

"Never crossed our mind, babe," Pip giggled, wrapping the shorter woman up in a warm hug. "So, lemme introduce you to my sister, Glory, and her partner Tim.

The Wolf Faunus strode over, taking Frost's hand and bowing over it in a courtly manner. "Tim Grey, at your service, ma'am."

"Frost Schnee," she replied levelly. "Welcome to my abode."

"It's certainly nice enough digs you got," Glory grinned once Tim had stepped smoothly back. Indeed, the townhouse seemed to be twice the width of any other townhouse they had ever seen and was five stories high. Right now, though, the blonde woman only had eyes for her host, blue eyes running along her frame with an ever-so-slightly naughty grin. "I like the ambiance."

"Oh… Er, thank you." Frost turned with a slight blush and headed towards the stairs. "Allow me to show you to your rooms."

Glory shot her partner a wink, who groaned and rolled his eyes. Pip made sure to pull up beside her sister as they went up the wide staircase.

"What was that all about?" she hissed.

Glory shrugged, her grin firmly affixed. "Tim and I have a running bet as to which way a girl swings," she murmured. "I won this one."

"But… how did you…?" Pip clamped her lips shut to stop her sputtering.

"Trust me, I can pick 'em out with just a quick flirt," Glory stated smugly. "Though I'm not just gonna leave off at that…"

"Glory, she's the owner of a multi-billion lien corporation and a full-fledged Huntress," Pip warned. "Not to mention she'll be teaching at Beacon."

"I do love a challenge," her sister agreed. "What can I say, I got a thing for gorgeous rich girls."

The group halted up on the fourth floor next to Frost, who swept her hand towards the hallway behind her. "This entire floor is made up of guest rooms," she stated calmly. "Feel free to pick the ones you wish."

"And where's your room at, Frost?" Glory asked innocently.

"Er… Upstairs…"

"Hmm." The blonde walked by the other woman, lightly brushing hands. "Good to know."

"Um." Frost stood there uncertainly, her face reddening by the minute.

Sighing, Pip paused by her side and rested a comforting hand on the white-clad woman's shoulder. "I'd apologize for her, but I doubt she'll stop unless you tell her to."

"I… see." Frost blinked her eyes as the others walked past with their baggage, both Beryl and Evie doing a poor job of suppressing their giggles.

Merri arrived just before dinner and enthusiastically greeted everyone, friend and family and stranger alike. She'd not been as impressed by Frost's identity as Pip had wished, but still made suitably impressed noises when given the tour of the townhouse.

Glory managed to secure herself a spot right next to Frost for the meal. The younger blonde had to roll her eyes several times at her sister's antics. The tattooed woman managed to subtly insert herself into most of the conversations Frost was involved in, taking unrepentant advantage of her proximity to give Frost any number of innocent-seeming touches, brief and feathery, along her arm or on her hand, once even reaching over to quickly tuck a strand of hair behind the other woman's ear. And all the while Frost became more and more flustered, which, of course, only fueled Glory's flirting.

Tim, on the other hand, quickly became irritated with Merri's unending optimism and enthusiasm. While Pip felt a very small twinge of guilt at his situation, sitting right next to her bubbly cousin, she didn't really feel the need to intervene.

He was a grown-ass man, after all, and could look out for himself.

Frost cleared her throat and leaned over to get Pip's attention, all the while desperately trying to ignore the rather suggestive way Glory was polishing off her ice cream dessert. "Er, Pip, if I may… I have a request?"

"Of course, Frost, anything!" _Especially if it makes up for my sister's behavior,_ she groaned to herself. As if she could pick up on her internal monologue, the older blonde turned to her and waggled her eyebrows outrageously.

"Would I be able to accompany you on your search?" she continued. "That is… I would dearly love a break from meeting with the Board of Directors, accountants, and lawyers…"

"Oh, we'd _love_ to have you along," Glory purred before giving her spoon a long lick.

Pip snorted into her drink, fortunately not having taken a sip just yet. "Yeah, we'd really love it if you came along, Frost," she finally said warmly. "All the better if it helps you out, too!"

"Thank you, I truly do appreciate- _eep!_ "

Frost shot out of her chair, blushing brightly enough to match Merri's hair. "Er, I think I shall… retire. Yes, it is late and as we are heading out… I shall retire. To sleep. Good night, all." With that, she turned and strode determinedly out of the dining room, most certainly not fleeing from her amorous guest.

Glory just tucked her hands behind her head and grinned widely. "What?" she protested to the several glares sent her way. "I didn't do anything!"

"Uh-huh," Pip murmured, unconvinced. "Can you please not… invade her room tonight?"

"Pfft, nah," Glory smirked as she rose from the table. "I don't play that easy right off the bat. 'Night, all!"

Tim sighed as he got up as well. "And _I'm_ the one with a reputation as an ass," he muttered.

"That's 'cause you are," Pip interjected, though she softened the blow with a wry grin.

The Faunus man flipped her off casually as he followed his partner up the steps.

"So, your sister... and that man," Merri began hesitantly. "They are quite… er… interesting."

"That is one way to put it, yes, dear," Lustre responded demurely.

"Whelp, they weren't wrong, though," Pip groaned as she stretched before pushing her chair back. "We should all get some sleep. Big day tomorrow, maybe we'll get to kill us some Grimm."

"Wonder if they have anything different up here?" Beryl mused as she stood with her arm around Evie. The Cat Faunus had her tail and arm wrapped securely around her lover as they headed towards the steps. "It's still covered in snow up where we're going, yeah?"

"Oh, yes," Merri grinned anticipatorily. "They have _all_ kinds of fun Grimm around these parts. I can't wait!"

Pip snorted to herself quietly as they trekked up the steps. _So long as none of them glow, I've really had it with enhanced Grimm..._

_Wonder what it would be like to fight nice, normal Grimm for a change..._

**Northern Outskirts of Atlas  
** **The Wilderness**

Pip glanced aside at the pair bringing up the rear with her. Not for the first time, she lamented the fact that she hadn't given in to her initial inclination to prevent the duo from bringing along their dark cloaks.

"You know you stick out like a Beowolf against all this snow, right?" she finally murmured.

"Yeah, yeah," Glory grumbled, pulling the edges of her cloak tight against her chest. "Didn't think to bring matching winter clothes."

"Frost could have lent you something."

Her sister shot her an irritated glare. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Eh." Pip shrugged unconcernedly, loosening her sword in its sheath. "Didn't think about it."

"Didn't think about it, she says," Tim grumbled on the other side of his partner. "Would have been nice to wear something warmer."

"You're in Atlas," Pip stated flatly. "What were you expecting?"

"I was expecting summer weather!"

"This _is_ summer weather!"

"Um, excuse me," a light voice broke in. Merri had drifted back, buckler and spear held loosely in her hands but at the ready. "Can we not argue so loudly? While I don't mind fighting Grimm, I'd rather not bring every single one in the Northern Reaches on our heads."

"Yeah, sorry, babe," Pip replied abashedly.

"No worries, cousin!" Merri replied, well, merrily. She skipped on ahead to rejoin Evie and Frost at the head of their formation.

"That girl is entirely too cheerful this early in the morning," Glory muttered.

Her sister snorted in amusement. "Think of it this way. She's like an anti-Grimm positive energy cloak."

"That… has got to be the dorkiest thing I've ever heard."

"Hey! I thought it was good!"

"Sorry, dear," Lustre called out over her shoulder. "It was not, truly."

"Everyone's gotta get on my case today!" Pip returned with mock outrage.

"I've been behaving," Beryl interjected from directly in front of her.

"That's true, thanks, babe," the blonde grinned. "Guess Evie helped calm your inner beast last night, huh? Mellowed you out?"

The blue-haired girl turned her head slightly and scowled. "Pip, I swear to Oum, I will find new and imaginative ways to make you bleed."

At that, Pip snapped her fingers and grinned widely. "See, that's what was missing this morning! No threats of violence!"

"It is true," Lustre laughed lightly. "We cannot as a team function without them."

"You are all very, very strange," Tim joined in with a snort.

Evie turned briefly from where she walked point, both Frost and Merri a step behind and flanking her. "You have no idea," she called back with a giggle, before turning once more. Her Faunus ears swiveled attentively as she walked.

"I could be scouting ahead," the Wolf Faunus stated after a few moments of silence. "Y'know, 'cause of my hearing and all, just as good as kitty-cat's up there."

"Nope," Pip replied shortly, not even looking in his direction.

"You don't even know about my semblance," he protested. "When I activate it, it gives me hyper-awareness of my surroundings, sound and sight. Lemme at least join 'em up there, let me feel useful, huh?"

The blonde team leader sighed but didn't pause in her walk nor from her alert observation of their surroundings. "Look, Tim… Okay, I'm gonna be brutally honest here, so don't… take it personally, alright? We've trained to become Huntresses, and while I know you don't get that and what it entails, it means we can react faster and better to any threat. Do you know what a Beowolf sounds like when it's stalking?"

"Um… well, no."

"Ever fought an Ursa, enough to know their weak spots?"

"...No."

"I'm not tryin' to be mean," Pip continued softly. "But you guys, you're kinda our weak link. That's why Evie's up front to scout, and our strongest, Frost and Merri, are backing her up. Lustre and Beryl are in the middle to support either flank."

"Then what about you?" Glory asked curiously.

Her sister grinned, giving her a quick look and accompanying wink. "I'm back here to make sure you don't wander off."

"You mean, protect us," Tim huffed out.

Pip sighed irritably. "Yeah, okay, I'm back here to make sure you guys are safe. I know you can handle yourselves in a fight, but that's against sentients. Fighting Grimm is a whole 'nother thing - they don't back down, they don't feel pain right away unless they're massively wounded, and they're not afraid of anything. They just keep coming at you until they're all dropped to the ground."

The silence stretched between them, a bit uncomfortable at first, until Glory broke it.

"And this is what you wanna do for a living?"

The younger blonde nodded firmly. "More than anything."

"We can't possibly be related," Glory stated neutrally.

Pip stopped in her tracks, a lump forming in her throat. "What? Why would you-"

"Because that kinda insanity might be hereditary," her sister continued, not breaking stride.

The other blonde gaped after her for a moment before trotting to keep up. "You're such a brat," she stated humorously once she'd slowed to a walk once more.

"I'm the oldest," Glory reminded her smugly. "That makes you the brat."

"Damn," Tim chuckled. "Yeah, no doubt, you two are sisters. Equally idiotic."

In tandem, both of the Cerise sisters flipped him off without looking at him.

Their procession came to a halt, however, as Evie held a cautionary hand up. Pip slipped her sword out and peripherally noticed Glory fill her hands with long-bladed daggers, while Tim held a common heavy revolver, the kind that chambered Dust rounds, while in his left hand was an odd serrated blade that curled back around his fist from the handle.

"Tim," the blonde began quietly, her head on a swivel for whatever it was that Evie had picked up on. "What in Oum's name is that blade in your hand?"

"This? Just my Ulak."

"Ulak?"

"Yup."

"I… see."

"And before you ask," Glory added softly, "no, we don't name our weapons like you lot do. They're just tools."

Pip gave her sister a look of outrage before leaning over _Odachi Dahlia_. "Shhh, it's okay sweetie, she didn't mean anything by that, you know I love you…"

The older blonde was staring at her, face a mixture of disbelief and horror, until she noticed both Beryl and Lustre's shoulder shaking with laughter.

Before Glory could harangue her little sister, Merri strode back, blue eyes alight with anticipation.

"We've got something up ahead," she stated eagerly. "Bunch of big ones, from what Evie says, and some fighting. It's pretty close to that cabin of yours, so we might've hit the jackpot."

"Really?" Pip gave her sword a twirl. "What are we waiting for? Let's move up!"

Her cousin grinned as she placed a restraining hand on her armored shoulder. "Hang up, now, let your teammate scout, she'll be back in a jiff."

It was then that Pip finally noticed the absence of her partner. Chagrined, she opened her mouth, but her unspoken question was immediately answered as Evie blinked back to their side.

"We gotta move!" the raven-haired girl exclaimed. "If that's your mom down there, she needs help!"

The group of eight set out in a quick trot, soon enough cresting a hill that overlooked a small valley, clear of the snowy woods they'd been trekking through. All of them paused to take in the scene below them, everyone save for Evie stunned by the sight.

"What," Tim growled, "the actual _fuck_ are those things?"

"I have no idea," Pip murmured wondrously.

They were enormous, the smallest of the white-furred creatures easily towering twice the height of an upright Alpha Ursa. The stark bone masks and hatefully glowing red eyes were unmistakable, though. Long arms ended in wicked-looking black claws, and some of them used those arms as means of travel while they surged forward to the cause of all the commotion. In the middle of the valley, surrounded by at least a dozen of the howling, snarling beasts, was a figure flashing back and forth. All they could see from there was a long red cloak streaming behind and below a long mane of golden hair, and the bright gleam of silver armor that matched what seemed to be a long-hilted weapon like a spear, though with an extended blade on the end. She darted in and out of the Grimm, seemingly disappearing from where a strike had landed only to reappear once again a short distance away to slash at her attackers.

"Those are Yeti," Frost stated, her voice wavering slightly in awe. "I've… I've never seen nor heard of a pack in such numbers."

"Yeah, well, this is Aunt Jewel," Merri sighed affectionately. "She's always seeking out the biggest and baddest Grimm around, no wonder she pulled a pack this size down on her."

Beryl took a step forward and turned toward Pip, steely determination in her bronze eyes. "Orders, fearless leader?"

The blonde chewed on her lip briefly. "What do you think, babe, bring 'em to us or hit 'em down there?"

"They won't be deterred from their target," Frost opined. "We should engage them."

"Alright, then, your show, Beryl," she grinned.

The blue-haired girl nodded and faced the valley once more. "Frost take the left flank, Merri the right. Pip, Evie, and Lustre, hit the middle hard and make some noise. I'll move up after you, keep their attention on me best I can while you guys pick them apart." She frowned slightly, turning to glance at Glory and Tim's weapons. "Can you two back me up, keep them off my rear?"

"Yeah, sure, we'll try," Glory agreed. Tim just gave a curt nod, though he looked a bit pale.

"Right, then," Pip grinned. "Let's act like we were trained for this!"

"Um, Pip?" her sister asked with a hesitantly-raised hand. "What if we weren't?"

"Right, right… Okay, then. Try not to die!"

"How motivating," Tim snarked as they charged forward.

Frost quickly propelled herself off to the side, using her glyphs, while Merri managed to use her own semblance of earth-moving to give her boosts of speed. Chunks of snowy rocks raised up, giving each step a push forward until she could slam into the back of an unsuspecting Yeti.

Pip huffed as she sprinted ahead, Evie and Lustre easily pacing her. "Evie, give 'em a warm welcome!" she panted out.

With an exultant shout, Evie blinked ahead, activating the Dust chamber in her scimitar once she landed. A wave of brilliant flames arced out ahead of her, cutting through several ranks of the towering monsters.

The blonde turned her head momentarily to check on the others and saw Beryl planting her feet as she glowed the familiar blue of her semblance, rooting her in place. "Come get some, bitches!" the small, blue-armored girl roared. Glory and Tim set themselves behind her, weapons clenched determinedly.

Once she turned back, Lustre was already gone in a blur of monochromatic color. The blonde grinned tightly, giving her aura a little push along her arms. "Time to play," she whispered, activating the dust in her veins. She briefly glowed a dull red before her sword ignited, a long brand of fire. Three Yeti who had been closing in reared back momentarily from the sight of the flames.

She darted forward, slicing upward in a wide arc. The Yeti screeched in pain before the backswing silenced it. Before the towering Grimm had hit the ground to disintegrate, Pip was on the next one, dodging the surprisingly nimble clawed hands. Two quick swipes took off its limbs before she disemboweled the beast, twirling in a circle as she went to face yet another of the seemingly endless monsters.

She looked up at the closing ring of Grimm, determination settling across her features.

"Alright, then, now that I've got your attention," she snarled eagerly. "Let's dance, assholes."

* * *

Beryl sent a flurry of shots into the belly of a charging Yeti, sending it stumbling forward to plow into the snow. Glory pounced on its back, plunging her daggers into the base of its neck and killing it. She nimbly skipped off, dark cloak trailing behind as she avoided the next Yeti in line.

Over the blue-haired girl's shoulder, Tim's revolver barked angrily, the discharge of the powerful rounds sending tendrils of gunsmoke drifting about her head. The next Yeti took two rounds to its face, blinding it momentarily before Beryl could finish the job with another couple of rounds from _Shashka_.

"How are you doing for ammo?" she called out as Glory scampered back behind her.

"I've got two more reloads," Tim grunted. "Sixteen rounds, and then I suppose I'll have to get up close and bloody."

"Aim for the eyes, best you can," Beryl advised. "Bone plates will deflect your shots if they're not aura-assisted."

"Yeah." She heard the _click_ of his revolver's chamber being snapped shut from reloading. "Noticed that. Thanks."

Two more Yeti charged in, this time from opposite directions. "Grimmshit," she snarled. "Take the right!"

With that she turned and charged at the left-hand one, easily rolling under the claws that eagerly sought her out. She slashed at its leg before stabbing up and into the flank of the Grimm. It whirled, whipping an arm around that she managed to catch on her shield in time. Another series of slashes severed the tendons of its leg, and it collapsed to the side enough for her to end it with a thrust through the hairy, muscular neck.

As it began to disintegrate, she headed back to join the others, who were being hard-pressed. Glory managed to nimbly skip aside from the overhand strikes, but Tim was being slowly backed up, trying to get a good shot. With a frustrated snarl, the Wolf Faunus holstered his gun and charged forward. His Ulak slashed out, cutting the Yeti's flesh into ribbons where he hit. The Grimm howled in pain and outrage, but as he turned to face the new menace, Glory struck.

The blonde woman leapt from a fallen tree, digging her daggers into its back. It reared up in agony as she dug her blades in, using them as climbing tools until she could reach high enough to pierce the back of its skull, dropping it to the ground.

Glory rolled off and trotted over towards where Beryl and Tim waited for her.

"Y'know," she began musingly. "This whole killing-Grimm-deal ain't half bad."

"We get a kick out of it," Beryl agreed nonchalantly.

Tim looked between the two of them in consternation as he slipped his revolver back out. "Am I the only sane one in this valley?" he asked rhetorically.

Three more Yeti charged in, and they set themselves into their familiar formation once more.

* * *

Evie had picked up on a pretty decent routine. Teleport onto a Yeti's shoulder, stab repeatedly into its neck and head region with her trusty _Dao_ , and then blink back off again onto another Grimm.

Rinse and repeat.

She was unprepared, however, for the hand that caught her as she alighted on her latest target. The Cat Faunus let out a _whoosh_ of air as the clawed hand clamped around her middle, and the world swirled about her as she was flung towards the ground.

Before she could hit, however, an enormous glowing white glyph formed at the Yeti's feet, upending it and causing its hold on Evie to loosen enough for her to escape. She hit the ground in a crouch, tail out behind her for balance, as she faced her rescuer.

"Thanks for the assist," she grinned to Frost.

The platinum-haired woman shrugged easily as she walked up, clean and pristine as if she'd not been fighting hordes of monstrous Grimm that day. "You could have taken him."

"Well, true, but it woulda left a mark," Evie snarked. The pair of them stood back-to-back as the original Yeti regained its feet with a furious roar, more of its friends closing in around them. "Whelp, back to the job at hand, huh?"

"Indeed," her friend laughed lightly. "Watch your back."

With that, the Huntress took off, propelled upwards by a white glyph. She'd sent another one up behind her target, and as she sliced through the neck of the Grimm, beheading it, she landed nimbly upon its vertical surface. In a flash, the color changed to white, and she was hurtling off once more in another direction.

"Handy, that," Evie snickered. She blinked back upwards again, careful this time to not land too close to the front of the Yeti's shoulder.

As she slashed out, conserving her Dust for when things got _really_ hairy, she felt a brief twinge of concern from her Mate. Beryl was worried for her as she didn't have eyes on her location, presumably.

Evie smiled warmly, sending back a reassuring and calming sensation over their link. She rode her target down to the ground and teleported to the next before it hit.

* * *

Lustre paused in her flurry of attacks, standing tall in the midst of a cluster of the large Grimm while she twirled _Winter Contus_ into a rifle. She sent short bursts of fire at their heads before deciding the bone plates there were entirely too thick.

 _I should really work on my marksmanship_ , she thought to herself ruefully, switching over to pound away at their torsos, an eminently wider target area. Pip had always been on them to hone their ranged skills, but she'd been rather neglectful of that aspect lately. Which, to be sure, was understandable with how their semester had ended, but still.

Not that she'd ever admit such to Pip. The silver-haired girl would never hear the end of it.

The last remaining Yeti in her immediate vicinity was coming closer, though it was hobbling now, causing Lustre to slowly back up. She'd had enough of a rest that she could resume her melee attacks, just a little bit longer…

And then the Grimm's head was caved in from the boulder that crashed down seemingly from the heavens.

Lustre twirled her weapon to turn it back into a staff as she eyed the woman alighting next to her humorously. "I do believe that is the first Grimm kill I have witnessed in such a fashion." She gave Merri a wide grin. "A rock to the head, how delightfully primitive."

"Hey, I like the classics," the redheaded Huntress giggled. She twirled her spear around her wrist as another group of Yeti headed for them. "Looks like we're thinning them out, though."

"Seems to be that way," she agreed. "How many are you up to?"

"Six now, you?"

"Hmm. Five."

"Better pick up the pace, then," Merri grinned. "Ten lien says you can't beat my numbers."

Lustre knew her eyes were glittering eagerly. It was a failing of hers, she knew, that she found it so difficult to resist a wager.

Especially one that would be rather difficult to surmount.

"You are on," she grinned before flashing away, her semblance pushing her into a barely visible blur. The force of her aura-protected impact against the legs of the middle Grimm was enough to send it flying to flop inelegantly on its face, where she could swoop in to smash her staff down, piercing the back of its skull. She wrenched her weapon loose in time to avoid the second Yeti's attack, batting the clawed hand aside. The other arm, anchored on the ground to steady the beast, served as a platform for her as she ran up the white-furred surface, planting the end of her staff against its eye and triggering it. The powerful dust round blew out the back of its head, and she adroitly hopped off once more before it could begin to disintegrate.

Lustre looked for the third Grimm, instead finding a triumphant-looking Merri.

"Seven to seven," she reported smugly. "Better, but still not beating me."

The silver-haired girl gave a wide, competitive smile before she raced off once more.

Ten lien was ten lien, after all.

* * *

As the dust settled, the numbers of Grimm thinned to a mere handful, Pip headed towards the center of the valley. Evie, Lustre, and Merri were already there, facing a rather irate blonde woman who was giving her cousin quite the dressing-down. She glanced around, reassured that Frost had the remaining three Yeti well in hand and that Beryl was leading Glory and Tim over in the same direction before she warily approached the others.

"Of all the irresponsible acts I've seen, Merriweather, this has them beat!" the blonde woman raged as she stalked about the area, hands flinging about and her sapphire blue eyes flashing. The scar across her cheek was faded but evident, as were the dark smudges under her eyes. Pip had the feeling that it'd been many years since she had received a decent night's sleep.

"Aunt Jewel, if you would just give me three seconds-"

"And do your mother or father know you're out here, in the middle of the Wilds, hunting Yeti of all things?" Jewel continued as if she hadn't heard a thing. "Leading what appear to be students? What is this, a school outing?"

"Wow," Glory murmured as she walked up. "Guess that's where my temper comes from, huh?"

"You and me both," Pip chuckled nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I think it's time to rescue our cousin."

The two blondes stepped forward, gaining the attention of the irate woman. She only spared them a glance, but her ranting trailed off as her head swiveled back around, regarding the pair quizzically at first, and then with shock.

"Like I was trying to tell you, Aunt Jewel," Merri stated patiently and with a great deal of warmth in her voice. "This is Pip and Glory. Your daughters."

The older blonde sucked in a startled breath at the names. "How…? No, no, it's not… It's not possible…" Blue eyes shimmered with tears as she seemed to sag wearily, her halberd falling to the ground at her side. "You're… dead…"

"Nope," Pip replied with a wavering grin. She gave a little wave. "Um, hi, mom."

Glory sniffled slightly as she took a half-step forward. "It's… really us, mom."

Their mother let out a soft wail as she clutched her hands around her waist, sinking to her knees as if all the energy had simply flown from her body. "My girls… You're here, you're… You're alive?"

"Yeah, mom," Pip choked out through her tears as she lunged forward, her sister at her side. "We're here."

"Oh my Oum," Jewel wailed loudly, finally clutching the two girls to her tightly. "Oh my Oum, you're alive, you're alive!

The three blondes dissolved into a blubbering mess, understandably so in the eyes of the others. They all stepped back to give them some room, setting up a quick camp for them to rest and recuperate.

Merri remained on hand, watching the family reunion with a soft smile on her face and happy tears trickling down her cheeks.

* * *

 

The three women finally came to the reasonable agreement that the snow was no place for their reconciliation. They and the others in their group headed back towards the small cabin that Jewel had indeed been staying at, tucked away into the woods.

"So why here?" Pip asked, her mother's hand tightly clasped in her own as they sat on the solitary couch together. Glory was on the other side and in a similar position, while the others made do with what little furniture remained. Evie simply sat against the wall on the floor, Beryl cradled against her chest, while Tim stretched out in the cramped hallway, taking a nap. Frost and Lustre took up the remaining chairs in the rustic cabin, while Merri just stood against the wall with her arms folded, relaxed and calm for a change.

"What do you mean?" Jewel asked, her eyes still red and puffy. Much as her own were, she imagined.

"I mean, this cabin… We figured out you might be here, but didn't know the significance of it." The younger blonde looked around at the room, full of nature prints on the walls and with a cozy fireplace crackling away. "It's really nice, in any case."

Her mother smiled softly as she looked about the room as well. "This was a vacation spot for Allen… your father's family." Her smile grew somewhat wan. "He proposed to me here." She sighed softly, returning her attention to her daughters and laughing lightly. "I just can't seem to wrap my head around this, you're both alive and… How? How did you two survive?"

"That is indeed quite the story," Lustre spoke up with a smile. She and her teammates had been introduced on the walk over, along with Frost and Tim. "I think, though, that we should leave you alone for the evening while you catch up, yes?"

"Will you guys be okay getting back on your own?" the blonde team leader inquired.

"We'll be fine, blondie," Evie snarked, accepting Beryl's help to her feet. "How about you guys meet us at Frost's place tomorrow, and then we can head back to Vale?"

"Yeah, sounds good, babe," she smiled warmly. "Thanks, guys."

"I think I'll head back to Mistral tonight," Merri mentioned as she levered herself up. "Got a job lined up, if I don't have to miss out on it I'd rather not."

"Oh, Dust, you didn't tell me about that before-"

"Hey." Her cousin cut her off with a wide grin. "You say the word and I'd drop whatever I'm doing to come help. That's what family is for, right?"

"Right," Pip smiled back softly.

They said their goodbyes, Glory leaving her mother's side to kick Tim awake and get him on his way. And then it was just the three of them curled up together on the couch, tightly holding each other as if they were afraid it might all turn out to be a dream.

"So," Jewel finally breathed. "Who wants to start?"

"Youngest first," Glory opined with a grin.

"Yeah, alright," Pip grinned back. "So, it all began when I met Beryl's dad for the first time…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See what I did there with the last two chapter titles? Calm before the storm? Eh? Oh, fine, I thought it was good… And hey, being the gigantic Browncoat geek that I am, anyone catch the Serenity reference? Haven't left an actual easter egg inside this story in a while, thought it'd be fitting to do so for the last chapter. And what a huge chapter it ended up being!
> 
> And so we end the decent run of Team PERL. I do have a bunch of cluttered ideas written down for volume 4 (more cameos from Nora and Ren, expanding on Pip & Tim, more on the Mate's Mark with Evie and Beryl, Glory trying her best to seduce Frost and all the while Pip is like "wtf sis stop trying to sleep with my teacher!", Lustre being her badass self, Sunny transferring to Beacon, that kinda stuff). Problem is I never had a theme for it, like with the first volume it was Relationships, the second was Malachite, and the third was Pip's Family. All I have for the fourth was, hey, they're in their third year now. So I'm just going to end things here on a decent enough note. As djjohns94 said, just consider volume 3 to be one long epilogue instead of the bridge I'd originally intended it to be. Someday, maybe if I actually run out of ideas (ha!) I might revisit these ladies, but I'm doubtful.
> 
> Stay shiny!


End file.
